In an age where more firms will be expected to report on things such as environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and their carbon footprint, these policies can also have a material impact.
“We have a zero-waste policy,” says Matt. “Nothing goes to landfill. Even if we can’t resell a piece of kit, we can see something like 60g of CO2 benefit back to the client. If we catch it earlier and it goes into our remarketing centre and can be resold, then it can return five times the amount of carbon benefit for clients, up to as much as 320g of CO2.”
This is before you consider that passing machines onto the secondary market means someone else isn’t buying a new machine. Secondary buyers are typically domestic users or educational establishments that find the power and speed of the recycled machines more than enough for their needs. “As well as reducing their own carbon footprint by buying a used machine, they get a great deal. This kit is often still more powerful and up-to-date than they need.”
Matt says IT is not yet playing enough of a part in the net zero debate. “The focus for companies looking to reduce their impact tends to be on switching to electric vehicles or LED lights. The IT department rarely gets considered.”
He cites the example of the 2021 Ministry of Defence Annual Report, in which it reported it had switched all staff from Windows 7 desktops to Windows 10 laptops. “It saved the department lots of money, but also alongside the financial saving it also saved an estimated 3,400 tonnes of CO2 a year.”
In response to the criticism that his firm’s approach is merely encouraging more consumption, he highlights that as well as the benefits of recycling and remarketing, new machines are often more eco-friendly than the models they replace. “We are starting to see manufacturers make new machines with more recycled materials, things like laptops from 30% recycled ocean plastics,” he says. “And that’s on top of them being more energy efficient.”
There are also other advantages for companies behind more regularly replacing their IT estate, not least that hidden cost of IT teams working harder to maintain old kit. “Old equipment that may not be able to support the latest software updates and releases will be less secure,” he points out.
And it is also often good for staff morale, who will get to use faster computers with less downtime that may even add up to being more productive and even enjoying a better work-life balance.
In summary, Matt points to another popular culture icon to make his point about the false economy of hanging on too long to IT equipment.
“It’s like the myth of Trigger’s Broom,” he says, referring to a scene from Only Fools and Horses in which council road sweeper Trigger gets a medal for saving the council money by having the best-maintained broom. “He claims to have it for 20 years and in that time, he proudly boasts, ‘it’s had 17 new heads and 14 new handles’. It’s the same when you’re spending so much to keep old kit and systems going. Replacing IT on a regular and systematic basis is better for the company and better for the environment.”
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