The following are some of the techniques we use to achieve the goal of being environmentally conscious when procuring your business IT hardware
- Refurbished IT hardware
- Power save mode
- Go paperless
- Recycle more
- Reuse and upgrade
- Recycle
- Choose ethical suppliers
Refurbished IT hardware
Choosing refurbished hardware not only means that you get a great spec with significant price reductions, but you will also be doing your bit for the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. Studies show 75% of the environmental impact of manufacturing a PC occurs during the production process. If more business IT users opted for refurbished laptops, desktop computers, monitor screens, and tablets, this means less hardware will need to be manufactured, and also reduces the number of goods going to landfill.
Many people wrongly believe that refurbished PCs and laptops are of inferior quality and of lesser spec than more modern devices. They also think they are more likely to go wrong. However, this could not be further from the truth. Link ICT is able to source Grade A items from our suppliers, many of which come with one year warranty. We often find our customers are pleasantly surprised by the quality and spec that we are able to source when they considered refurbished hardware.
Think about power saving
Another way to make your IT hardware use more environmentally friendly is to ensure that you hibernate your computers when not in use. This could be done during both shorter breaks and over evenings and weekends. By choosing the hibernate function you can save your existing work as it is and you can continue from the same point the next day.
Reduce printing
Many firms still maintain a paper filing system, sometimes printing documents only to file them. To prevent the need to print and file, why not move to electronic filing? Here at Link ICT, we were early adopters of Microsoft Teams. We have several different team folders where we file documents electronically. These teams can have different levels of permissions and mean that any documents are backed up securely to Onedrive. By using MS Teams, files can be accessed and updated by any authorized team member at any time. It is even possible to collaborate on documents, which is especially important if you have staff members working remotely.
Reuse and upgrade
Sometimes companies can be keen to replace equipment if it becomes outdated, broken, or slow to function. However, there are often quite simple fixes and upgrades that can be done to improve the performance of equipment.
Your IT support team can recommend simple upgrades such as increasing the RAM in a laptop or adding an SSD. Even when PCs and laptops are beyond upgrade or repair, it can often be worth keeping them for spares and repairs that your support technician can use at a later date.
Recycle
If your IT assets can’t even be used for spares and repairs, you can also consider disposing of old equipment in an environmentally friendly manner. There are a number of companies who will come and collect your equipment for a nominal fee so that it can be recycled. This can include breaking down the equipment for parts, and even recycling raw materials.
Consider an environmentally friendly IT support company, with remote support
One final way to be more environmentally friendly with your IT is to choose a support company that tries to reduce its impact on the planet. At Link ICT we take a number of steps to reduce our own carbon footprint. We chose to drive electric vehicles where possible and have actively chosen a renewable energy provider. Also, by choosing an IT support company that can provide support remotely, rather than on-site, you can further reduce your environmental impact.