As the technology industry evolves rapidly, the demand for new products continues to grow. Microsoft’s announcement that they will no longer support Windows 10 from October 2025 has made customers and businesses aware that they may need to upgrade their business laptops within a year, even if their current model is still running.
The move was recently discussed at the Re: Sustainable IT Summit in the United Arab Emirates. A spokesperson for Canalys, a global technology market analyst firm, predicted that 240 million business computers could become e-waste because of these changes. Considering that 85% of the carbon emitted by a laptop occurs at the end of production, this is a worrying figure.
Against this backdrop, the stage has been set for greater adoption of remanufactured technology, eliminating waste, reducing carbon emissions and keeping the cost of replacement equipment low. While still an emerging category, 40% of IT leaders at the summit believed that used laptops will account for one in five (20%) of laptops purchased by businesses by 2028. Perhaps Microsoft’s decision could be the push needed to change our perception and move towards an overhaul.
CEO and founder of circular computing.
Old for new
We believe that you should not throw away the keys to your car and buy a brand new one after driving it for a few months or when the car needs to be serviced. Instead, you get the service you need to extend the life of the car. The same logic can also be applied to IT technology. If we are serious about pursuing a circular economy, whether it is a Porsche or a printer, we must preserve what has already been created, be regenerative in its resources and eliminate waste.
The challenge is to focus on a single group that will have the most impact to make the change and spark the movement. Remanufactured technology is tailor-made for organizations with clear sustainability goals who are looking for an alternative to brand new that offers value for money and – crucially – works at least as well as a brand new device. That’s why I believe the public sector is the perfect group to act as standard bearers, because of its influence and the large number of employees working within a small number of organizations.
Sustainability pressure
Compared to small businesses, these large public sector organizations face different pressures from the private sector to drive sustainability. Although the majority of UK businesses – around 5.5 million – are classified as small businesses, it is impractical to sell an idea to SMEs one by one. Instead, greater impact and adoption can be achieved by focusing on large organizations that will buy in bulk and have a louder voice encouraging others.
Evidence from peer-reviewed research from Cranfield University shows that reconditioned appliances significantly reduce the carbon footprint, producing just 6.34% of the CO2 compared to brand new appliances. Many organizations are aware of achieving their sustainability goals while being cost-effective and contributing to their sustainability report. This means that their buy-in for used hardware could be a hugely important support. Employees also look to companies to see what they are doing in terms of sustainability, so there is additional pressure from the bottom up.
The hurdle we face is the assumption that a refurbished laptop is a step down from a brand new laptop. However, this is where standards bodies such as the BSI can play a role in certifying the performance and quality of models and removing perceived barriers.
The real price of new hardware
A recent case study found that every refurbished laptop sold is up to 40% cheaper than a comparable new model, and can also contribute to companies’ sustainability goals. Imagine if this were done at scale and the potential savings and ESG benefits would be enormous. Something like this would be extremely beneficial for large organizations looking for more funding and where every penny spent is scrutinized.
Across the Channel, the direction of the journey is already visible, with French public sector organizations required to put 20% of their annual procurement budget into equipment that is reused, refurbished or contains recycled materials. While some people are confident in this new technology, many people are interested in the idea but feel like they don’t know enough about it to take the first step. With influential countries like France steering the tech industry in this direction, others are more likely to follow suit.
With all the developments in the technology industry, the sooner we focus on practical solutions, the better off we will be, both as individuals and as organizations. The key, however, is to save time and resources by going directly to the largest and most influential sector and letting them sing the benefits from the rooftops.
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This article was produced as part of Ny BreakingPro’s Expert Insights channel, where we profile the best and brightest minds in today’s technology industry. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Ny BreakingPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing, you can read more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro