For many, the perception of IT is that it’s a “clean” industry compared to manufacturing. After all, moving to e-mail, and other online systems has saved millions of trees from getting cut down for paper. Erm, maybe not so much…

Massive data centres increase energy demand and the world isn’t close to transitioning to renewables. The desire for new model devices is driving the demand for precious metals and other natural resources which are depleting ecosystems and impacting biodiversity. If that isn’t bad enough, most electronic devices have a very limited lifespan and get discarded – adding to an ever-growing volume of e-waste.

Most of the global population have more than three electronic devices each. That in itself is not a bad thing, economically speaking, but it does become a problem when you consider that 62 million tonnes of e-waste is produced annually. That’s a 2022 statistic. It’s estimated that the number will climb beyond 75 million metric tonnes by 2030.

There are many managed service providers (MSPs) whose main line of business is network upgrades. The motivating factor being efficiency and economic growth for their clients. There’s belief that by following a set procedure, old devices are properly disposed of and this allows them to mark the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) checkbox and move on to the next project.

There are a few problems with this though:

1. Properly disposed of does not equate to properly recycled.

Current statistics highlight that only around 20% of devices are properly recycled, with the rest going to landfill. There, all the resources that went into making the devices are not only wasted, they become an environmental hazard, leaching toxic chemicals into the soil, contaminating it.

Companies that are serious about sustainability efforts should look beyond just a drop-off depot. It’s only when there’s a demand for greater transparency as to how devices are processed that change will take place.

2. If you wouldn’t throw away a gold ring why an electronic device?

Electronic devices contain a wealth of precious metals including gold, silver, copper, platinum and palladium. The technologies to extract and reuse the metals exist, but high costs, low demand, and non-existent regulations have hindered growth in this sector.

The IT industry can help change this by collaborating directly with processing companies, helping provide specific devices that can be processed so that the metals can be extracted and reused, and in the process, help drive up demand for recycled precious metals.

3. Designed for obsolescence

In IT, there’s a future forward mindset aimed at always improving on previous versions. Greater capacity, faster speeds, more features. They’re desired because they’re marketed that way and being designed for obsolescence there’s little provision for repair. Less repair, more waste. Where’s the progress?

Sustainability efforts start with design, not with a drop off at a recycling depot. If IT as a sector wants ESG scorecards to mean anything, then there needs to be a rethink of how devices are designed and used, not just how they’re disposed of.