What is sustainable IT?

Understanding sustainable information technology

IT Procurement - time for a change

Sustainable IT, also known as Green IT, covers the manufacturing, use, management and disposal of information technology in a way that minimises its impact on the environment.

We understand the need for laptops and technology. We do not understand throwing away a perfectly functional laptop simply because it is a few years old and the warranty has run out.

More than 160,000 laptops are disposed of every day in the EU alone

Every year more than 272 million new laptops are manufactured. And every day 160 thousand “old” laptops are disposed of in the EU alone. The result is excessive resource consumption, climate change, pollution and e-waste.

70% of those laptops could be reused.

This would reduce raw materials and energy consumption as well as cut waste production.

The potential for extending the usable life, particularly for computing products, is becoming recognised increasingly by industry experts and corporate buyers alike.

The percentage of e-waste that end up in landfill is too great - a huge amount of the e-waste is shipped to South America, Africa, China and India despite laws in place to forbid this.

In developing countries, local e-waste ‘pickers’ (often children) are exposed to harmful toxins on e-waste sites, causing death in some cases, while the long-term damage to local populations and the environment is still unknown.

How Remanufactured laptops reduce the IT carbon footprint

To manufacture just one new laptop, a huge amount of the Earth’s resources are used up, adding to the immense carbon footprint of the IT industry.

Our Circular Remanufacturing Process delivers an unrivalled 'like new' cosmetic renewal and an RMA of less than 3%

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316 kg CO₂ emissions

From the mining, manufacture and production of a single laptop, 316 kg of CO₂ emissions are generated on average, all contributing to Global Warming. Our remanufacturing process avoids these emissions altogether by utilising existing computers.

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190,000 litres of water

A massive amount of water is used throughout the mining and production process of producing technology - around 190,000 litres is used for just one laptop. This is enough drinking water for over 700 years for the average American.

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1,200 kg of Earth’s resources

To manufacture the necessary materials to create each component of a laptop, 1,200 kg of the Earth’s resources are mined and consumed. Remanufacturing not only prevents the consumption of additional resources, but also avoids the e-waste from the disposal of a laptop.

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Providing Clean, Safe Water

For every laptop sold, we provide a family with clean water for a week. In developing countries, access to clean water transforms lives, impacting health, education, and female empowerment

Sustainable IT manufacturing

Sustainable manufacturing means making products in a way that does not harm the environment.

From reducing the amount of materials and chemicals used during production to environmentally-friendly packaging and making them more energy efficient, there are many ways in which manufacturers can impact sustainability.

There are increasingly strict laws that limit the use of toxic substances, levels of pollution and even the amount of energy a product can use.

Circular Computing™ have taken this a step further by remanufacturing laptops. Rather than use virgin raw materials to build a laptop from scratch, we disassemble, repair and upgrade existing laptops to give the original unit a new lease of life.

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For every laptop we sell we provide a family with clean water for a week

Purchasing a Circular Computing laptop not only ensures you receive world-leading quality and a carbon-neutral product, but you also contribute to providing clean, safe water for families in desperate need. Access to clean water transforms lives, unlocking opportunities for education, income, and health—especially for women and children. Clean water changes everything.

Are you ready to join these organisations in procuring sustainable IT?

"I would characterise what Circular Computing has done for remanufacturing as - they have actually accomplished the impossible. No one ever thought you could actually do such a solution like this... it's really what we call the utopia in the industry."

John Mayer

VP Channel Financing at Ingram Micro

"We’re delighted to be able to refresh our laptop estate with a truly sustainable, viable product, for the first time, thanks to our work with Circular Computing. We are facing a climate and nature crisis, and WWF-UK is focused on ensuring our own sustainability through procurement, including how we procure for IT."

Dominic Elton

Head of IT Services at WWF UK

“We teamed up with Circular Computing and ran a trial of their sustainable laptops to see if they would be a fit for our needs. Not only did the devices meet our demanding spec requirements but they had a completely premium appeal - from the packaging they arrived in, to the devices themselves. They also came with extended warranty options which made it an easy decision to move to Circular Computing."

Simon Edwards

Head of IT Operations at The Royal Mint

"I think one of the things that strikes you is when these devices arrive, they're indistinguishable from new. The overriding feedback is the staff feel they are better than what they had before."

Jon Ozanne

UK CIO at Balfour Beatty

"Circular Computing has helped us meet our carbon targets by providing us with cost effective remanufactured laptops. As climate change becomes a huge global concern, it’s good to know we at Together are doing our bit. The whole laptop order process has been streamlined, helping save significant time and delivery costs."

Hiten Patel

Head of IT at Together for Mental Wellbeing

"The solution offered by Circular Computing is a great example where remanufactured exceeds new – with their laptops meeting our functional IT needs while delivering a circular, carbon-neutral product. As The Royal Mint transforms for the future, we want to partner with more organisations like Circular Computing, who support our ambition to be leaders in sustainable precious metals."

Inga Doak

Head of Sustainability at The Royal Mint

“Remanufactured is like taking a BMW back to BMW, stripping it down and making it like a brand-new car... you look at what the French government has done with the requirement to use remanufactured equipment within their procurement practices.... we can see that happening in public sector and private sector as well. Companies aren’t going to reduce their emissions from a procurement aspect unless they actually start using more remanufactured and refurbished goods.”

John Gladstone

Sustainability Lead at Softcat

Because IT shouldn't cost the Earth

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%.