The impact of device life cycles and digital pollution on our environment.
Computers, printers and phones—device life cycles and the different processes involved in them have a huge effect on our environment.… Producing a computer weighing 2 kg, for example, requires 800 kg of resources involved in turn entail extracting and processing minerals and non-renewable materials (cobalt, tantalum and cerium).
According to a study conducted by the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature), computers also contribute to pollution at the end of their life cycle, as 70-90% of electronic waste cannot be disposed of by means of internationally recognised recycling methods.
In addition to this, many enterprises renew their employees’ computers and smartphones very often—in some cases even too often (every two years)—which in turn leads to a higher consumption of natural resources required for their production, impacting their carbon footprint. According to ADEME (The French Agency for Ecological Transition) increasing the duration of use from 2 to 4 years for tablets and PCs improves the ecological balance by 50%.
Device as a Service solutions – Getting to grips with the requirements of enterprises
Services such as DAAS by Bechtle enable you to start making changes as early as when selecting devices. The IT devices offered in this process are chosen according to the criteria of sustainable growth (carbon footprint, repairability, manufacturer’s corporate citizenship…) although the company’s needs play a decisive role.
The idea behind this concept of selecting devices responsibly is utilising IT devices on a deploy-as-you-need basis while benefiting from attractive tools that help manage the entire life cycle of IT devices.
Project Replay – The sustainable Device as a Service project
It’s possible to deepen your CSR approach by making use of offers such as Project Replay, an environmentally friendly approach to reduce your global impact.
Deep dive into the services:
The Project Replay services enable companies to compensate forCO2 emissions that are created through the integration of new devices. This is a holistic approach that takes into account the entire life cycle of the service, hence including all CO2 emissions of the integration – hardware, logistics, packaging and replay services. The remaining footprint that cannot be reduced any further is then analysed and quantified to be compensated with certified carbon credit to finance CSR measures.
Project Replay also allows you to return old devices, providing support for the entire process from putting together the hardware, diagnostics and evaluation all the way through to certified erasure of data and even repairs. Another factor that guarantees an optimal experience while protecting the environment.
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A word from our Bechtle CSR expert - Nicolas PERROT
“The advantage of Device as a Service solutions is that you can keep use your existing devices while upgrading them ecologically and economically. In addition, the hardware chosen is TCO-certified, a certification for IT hardware fulfilling certain eco-design criteria that’s only awarded to electronic devices of good quality, sport low energy consumption and either greatly limit or fully eliminate the risk of health and environmental damage. Our preventative repairs that we carry out throughout the entire duration of the contract also increase your hardware’s lifespan. This ensures that the residual value of the devices remains higher, while maintaining full control of the IT devices until they are returned at the end of their three-year cycle.”
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The take-away? The reasons listed above should provide food for thought for next time you consider renewing your company devices. Favour sellers that seriously consider their impact and offer sustainable services (deinstallation services, three-year contracts, proactive maintenance, CO2 compensation).
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