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At Concept, we don't just provide amazing IT Support and IT Services to businesses in the North East of England, we also like to share some of our knowledge and experience whilst providing guidance & insight.  Here you will find the latest information, advice and news from Concept.  If there are any topics you would like us to cover, please get in touch.  

20 October 2021
Waste not want not

Waste is a problem.

Whether it’s baby wipes clogging up sewers, food waste accounting for up to 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions or fast fashion creating mountains of unwanted clothes, what we leave behind is a problem for all of us – and that goes for IT too.

Electronic waste – or e-waste – is a growing issue; 44.7 million tonnes of it was produced worldwide in 2017 alone, with 90 per cent of that either sent to landfill, incinerated or illegally traded.

Sent to landfill, the chemicals inside seep into the earth’s soil and water; when incinerated, they release chemicals that pollute the air, while refrigerants are released as greenhouse gases.

Furthermore, e-waste also means the precious materials contained in tech products cannot be reused. This in turn means more raw materials are needed, again leading to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

And here in the UK, we’re particularly liable, producing an average of 24.9kg of e-waste per person, nearly 10kg more than the EU average.

In fact, the issue is so extensive that an inquiry was launched into the problem in 2019, to look into the ever-growing pile of unwanted connected devices.

More recently, Music Magpie, an online retailer selling refurbished electronic devices, commissioned Mutoid Waste Company's Joe Rush and Alex Wreckage to create Mount Recyclemore ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall.

The sculpture took the shape of its Mount Rushmore namesake and featured the seven G7 leaders – all made of electronic waste.

In a statement on its website, the company said: “The UN estimates that 53 million tonnes of e-waste are generated globally every year. It expects this figure to double by 2050, making it the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.

“The G7 nations produce 15.9 million tons of e-waste each year, with the US, Japan, Germany and the UK the four worst offenders.”

Because while technology is brilliant, it also moves fast. Software may not take up any physical space, but hardware does – so what happens when it’s obsolete, or its owners move onto the next big thing?

How can we help?

While the problem may be global, as highlighted by Music Magpie’s figures above, the solution starts with each and every one of us.

The average Briton has 11 devices in their house that they never use, many of which will end up in landfill. Instead, we should be recycling, reselling or reusing – what’s old tech to us may be treasure to someone else.

At Concept, we take our WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) responsibilities extremely seriously, working with a local supplier to make sure everything is disposed of correctly.

They collect our unwanted IT equipment assets, securely destroy any data and recycle or reuse any working equipment, before responsibly disposing of any unusable assets and providing us with full management reports.

Every piece of collected equipment is processed in accordance with GDPR, while all data is also removed from the asset. For those pieces of hardware that will be reused, overwriting software with guaranteed 100 per cent ensures data is completely erased.

Meanwhile, any item that is beyond economical repair, damaged or not available for reuse will be broken down to recover the precious components and materials.

We like to leave no stone unturned so if our clients choose our ‘Secure Data Destruction’ service, the storage on their device will not only be shredded, but also wiped.

A virtuous cycle

Even closer to home, at Concept we offer equipment on loan, making use of older models of hardware that may otherwise not find a home.

Loan equipment works in a similar way to a courtesy car; allowing clients to keep working while their usual hardware is out of action.

While it may not be the highest spec or latest model, it does mean that our clients can continue to be productive while we help them to choose the right long-term equipment – avoiding the potential for costly mistakes.

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 get on with work without waiting for their final delivery.

As the capabilities of technology grow, so does the potential for waste, and so it us up to all of us to rethink our relationship with tech.

To find out how we can help you with loan equipment, or any other IT services, contact the team on 0808 178 22 48 or email help@concept-its.co.uk.

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