Sustainability continues to be a hot topic, especially in the IT sector, where electronic waste (e-waste) is continuously generated at exponential rates. More organizations are starting to take steps towards sustainable efforts to minimize their environmental footprint and practice reducing, reusing, and recycling IT assets. Some customers will hesitate to work with a company that is not taking action to reduce their impact on the environment.
According to a study by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally, with 62 million metric tons generated in 2022 alone1. Most of this e-waste ends up in landfills overseas and contributes to the pollution of natural environments. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor, only 22.3% of e-waste is collected and properly recycled, leaving the majority to harm the environment1. Aside from that, the processes of mining the precious metals that are required for most modern technology, further degrade irreplaceable ecosystems. Soil and water contamination caused by inadequate recycling can further cause harm to humans and wildlife. As sustainability practices become more crucial, businesses can implement various strategies to minimize their environmental impact.
There are several steps individuals and businesses can take to reduce their footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
1. Opt for Energy-Efficient Devices
When purchasing new hardware, choose energy-efficient devices. Installing more energy-efficient UPSs, servers, and power distribution units (PDU) helps reduce the environmental footprint of high-energy cost devices and contributes to yearly cost savings.
2. Purchase Pre-Owned Hardware
Purchasing pre-owned hardware reduces the volume of e-waste that ultimately ends up in landfills. By extending the life of or reusing IT assets, you delay its end-of-use date. In 2022 and 2023, Curvature was able to divert 1,843,396 pounds of potential e-waste from the landfills by reconditioning pre-owned gear to like-new condition for consumer purchase. Pre-owned hardware not only affords customers extensive cost savings, it also allows customers to contribute to the circular economy by purchasing fit-for-purpose pre-owned hardware, ensuring its re-use.
3. Recycle Responsibly
Properly disposing of IT hardware and accessories is paramount in minimizing environmental degradation. Obsolete hardware should be recycled through certified e-waste recycling programs. Many manufacturers offer take-back programs to ensure that electronic waste is properly recycled. Look for companies with ISO 14001 and R2v3 certifications when reselling or purchasing hardware to ensure environmental regulations are met.
4. Server Virtualization
Implementation of server virtualization helps businesses reduce the number of physical servers in their data center, decreasing electricity consumption and minimizing the amount of air conditioning used to cool the servers. A reduction in servers means fewer assets to recycle come their end-of-use lifecycle and allows for smaller power infrastructure for businesses.
5. Power Management
By utilizing power management settings on devices, companies can reduce energy usage during idle periods. Reduced consumption of energy helps minimize harmful emissions and conserve natural resources. Businesses can also implement renewable energy as their power sources to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Utilize Third-Party Maintenance
One of the most effective ways to reduce e-waste is to extend the lifespan of your IT equipment. Third-Party Maintenance (TPM) extends support services through either post-warranty support, or through an EOSL support service, enabling companies to take advantage of existing technology for longer versus a hardware refresh. Park Place Technologies has been extending the life of IT equipment by three years on average across more than 1.1 million hardware assets. TPM provides an efficient way to extend the life of IT assets, and provides a low-cost solution, allowing companies to allocate resources to other environmental initiatives.
7. Liquid Cooling
An emerging technology for data centers, liquid immersion cooling is a means to reduce power consumption and drive sustainability. Air cooling only captures 30% of the heat generated by the servers, where immersion cooling captures 100% of the server heat2, making it more efficient and cost effective. Liquid cooling not only reduces power usage and carbon emissions, but also shrinks the real estate footprint required to house the equipment.
With the various avenues businesses and organizations can take to minimize their environmental footprint, companies are sure to find several that they can implement in their company structure. From purchasing pre-owned hardware and third-party maintenance services, to properly recycling obsolete assets, businesses can take the steps to become environmental stewards and inspire other businesses to do that same. Sustainability requires a collective effort to help foster a circular economy to minimize the degradation of our planet.
Click here to learn more about Curvature’s sustainability practices or contact us for more information.
1. Cornelis P. Baldé, Ruediger Kuehr, Tales Yamamoto, Rosie McDonald, Elena D’Angelo, Shahana Althaf, Garam Bel, Otmar Deubzer, Elena Fernandez-Cubillo, Vanessa Forti, Vanessa Gray, Sunil Herat, Shunichi Honda, Giulia Iattoni, Deepali S. Khetriwal, Vittoria Luda di Cortemiglia, Yuliya Lobuntsova, Innocent Nnorom, Noémie Pralat, Michelle Wagner (2024). International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). 2024. Global E-waste Monitor 2024. Geneva/Bonn.
2. GRC and Park Place Technologies. (2023). The Sustainable Data Center Transformation: Reducing Carbon Footprint with Liquid Immersion Cooling [White paper]. https://www.parkplacetechnologies.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GRC-Intel-Sustainability-White-Paper-PPT-Co-Branded.pdf
