How sustainable notebooks helped The Pensions Authority align to Ireland’s “Buying Greener” Green Public Procurement Strategy.
The Pensions Authority, a statutory body in Ireland, regulates occupational pension schemes, trust retirement annuity contracts (RACs) and personal retirement savings accounts (PRSAs).
The challenges
In line with Ireland’s ‘Buying Greener’ Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024 – 2027, The Pensions Authority sought to align its IT procurement with environmental standards that support the country’s broader sustainability objectives.
The Pensions Authority also required high-performance notebooks, while also maintaining the service and delivery standards they’d come to expect when working with suppliers of brand-new devices.
The introduction of the new OGP (Office of Government Procurement) framework for remanufactured notebooks was a pivotal moment, permitting public bodies to purchase remanufactured devices for the first time. While The Pensions Authority could see the environmental benefits of procuring remanufactured notebooks, they needed the assurance that these would look and perform like ‘new’.
The Process
Valued at €30 million over four years, with up to 60,000 remanufactured notebooks provided to the public sector over the period of the contract, the OGP had done their due-diligence: these remanufactured notebooks are BSI Kitemark certified as ‘equal to or better than new’ with a warranty equal to new.
GreenIT played a crucial role as Circular Computing’s exclusive reseller in Ireland, ensuring that the Irish Public Sector received high quality remanufactured notebooks. To align with the ‘Buying Greener’ goals and advance their own environmental objectives, The Pensions Authority actively sought to incorporate remanufactured notebooks into their operations.
Circular Computing, in collaboration with GreenIT, engaged with The Pensions Authority’s IT Infrastructure Team to understand their specific needs and ensure alignment with sustainability objectives.
This partnership facilitated a seamless transaction process and delivery, setting the stage
for a significant rollout across multiple Irish Government departments.
The initiative not only supports the environmental goals of The Pensions
Authority but also represents a broader commitment to sustainable
procurement within the public sector.
OSSIAN SMYTH, Minister of State of Government of Ireland stated:
"The standard of remanufacturing that must be followed under our contract with Green IT is the BSI Kitemark standard and that requires products to be restored to a like new state both functionally and aesthetically. Refurbished notebooks, on the other hand, may or may not go through a proper quality control process...
Simply put, refurbished notebooks do not meet the requirements of ICT departments in the public sector!"
The solution
In partnership with GreenIT, low carbon, remanufactured HP EliteBook 840 G7 notebooks were supplied to The Pensions Authority. Each device was configured with Windows 11 professional, 16 GB RAM, Intel i5 10th Gen and 14.0” screens.
This collaboration not only met The Pensions Authority’s environmental goals but also utilised the first of its kind remanufactured framework from the OGP.
ANTHONY O’DEA, Commercial Manager at Green IT stated:
"Collaborating with Circular Computing has underscored the immense potential of sustainable procurement. It’s gratifying to see our efforts translate into tangible environmental benefits."
The solution
In partnership with GreenIT, low carbon, remanufactured HP EliteBook 840 G7 notebooks were supplied to The Pensions Authority. Each device was configured with Windows 11 professional, 16 GB RAM, Intel i5 10th Gen and 14.0” screens.
This collaboration not only met The Pensions Authority’s environmental goals but also utilised the first of it’s kind remanufactured framework from the OGP.
ANTHONY O’DEA, Commercial Manager at Green IT stated:
"Collaborating with Circular Computing has underscored the immense potential of sustainable procurement. It’s gratifying to see our efforts translate into tangible environmental benefits."
Results
The partnership between Circular Computing, GreenIT and The Pensions Authority has delivered remarkable results, underscoring the effectiveness of Ireland’s ‘Buying Greener’ Green Public Procurement Strategy.
This collaboration successfully provided high-quality remanufactured notebooks that met the expected service and delivery standards, ensuring that The Pensions Authority received reliable and efficient notebooks.
The operational excellence and substantial environmental benefits achieved through this deal not only align with but actively support Ireland’s ambitious sustainability goals. The success of this partnership sets a benchmark for future procurement projects, illustrating the tangible advantages of integrating remanufactured technology into public sector operations.
MICHAEL TUOHY, IT Infrastructure Manager at The Pensions Authority stated:
"Our experience with GreenIT and Circular Computing’s remanufactured notebooks has been nothing short of excellent. We achieved significant savings compared to buying new, with a warranty, delivery and service levels being equal to or surpassing our previous experiences. Their ‘no questions asked’ replacement policy for faulty devices provided the confidence we needed to move forward. We are very happy with these devices and our reseller, GreenIT."
CO2 PREVENTED
Each notebook avoided 316kg of CO2 emissions.
Water conservation
Saved 190,000 litres of water per notebook.
Resource Preservation
Preserved 1,200 kg of the Earth’s precious resources per unit.
Providing clean, safe water
Each notebook bought will provide clean, safe water to a family for a week
Zero
e-waste
Achieved zero e-waste production
STEVE HASKEW, Group Director Sustainability and Growth, Circular Computing stated:
"This feels like an important first step towards a wider sustainable movement and we are confident that the success of the partnership will pave the way for other departments to follow, aiding their push to Net Zero."
Quality without compromise
We produce leading brand, carbon neutral remanufactured laptops.
Our BSI Kitemark™ certified process remanufactures laptops ‘to equal or better than new’, with up to 40% cost savings compared to the latest models and an RMA of less than 3%.