Blog

Reduce, reuse, recycle – that’s the mantra we’ve all got used to by now, as industries across the board look to reduce the amount of waste they produce, reuse what they already have, and recycle what they no longer need.

Electronic waste – or e-waste – is a growing issue, so much so that an inquiry was launched into the problem. 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste was produced worldwide in 2017, with 90 per cent of that was either sent to landfill, incinerated or illegally traded.

Here in the UK, we produce an average of 24.9kg of e-waste per person, nearly 10kg more than the European Union average.

Here at Concept IT, we are commITted to doing everything we can to avoid such wastage, offering equipment on loan and recycling as much old hardware as we can.

So, let’s look at how we’re doing our bit and remaining loyal to our ethical IT roots.

Loans

You’ve heard of a courtesy car – well, we offer clients courtesy computers, allowing them to keep working should their equipment be out of action.

While the loan equipment may not be the highest spec, it does mean that our clients don’t have to rush out and buy something immediately – they can continue to be productive while we help them to choose the right long-term equipment.

And, if a desktop or laptop can’t be repaired, we will then make a recommendation as to what equipment the client should buy, which will meet their specific needs and ensure long-term effectiveness and efficiency.

Borrowing equipment is great for the client, as it allows them to keep working while our team of experts guide them through all available options, helping them avoid any costly mistakes if they don’t get it right first time.

We also find our loan service helps clients who need equipment quickly, while their full orders are being processed. We have a ready supply of hardware and so, while it may not be a perfect fit, it means clients can hit the ground running without delay.

Recycling

Recycling isn’t just for glass bottles and newspaper; many components of computers can be recycled too, although it is governed by strict guidelines.

All computer equipment destined to be recycled must first have any data storage wiped, and records are kept of all details of the destruction for audit purposes.

Failure to wipe data fully can result in what is known as a data breach or data leak, which not only affects the company but the owner of the data too.

Any breaches have to be reported to Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) no later than 72 hours after the breach.

GDPR legislation also introduced a duty on all organisations to report certain types of personal data breaches to the relevant authority, and failure to do so can result in heavy penalties and an investigation by the ICO.

Once the data has been wiped and the hard drive securely destroyed, we send it off for disposal, and the company we use dismantles the equipment, recovering any usable metals and recycling all other materials in an environmentally friendly way

The environmental impact is not something that is often discussed when it comes to IT services, but at Concept IT, we believe it is our responsibilITy to play our part – benefitting both our clients and the environment.

To find out how we can help you, contact the team on 0808 178 22 48 or email help@concept-its.co.uk