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Every so often -- a couple of times a year, maybe slightly more -- the issue of electronic waste seems to pop up on the radar of the IT industry, and there follows a confluence of news, reports, exposés, etc. etc. And then it usually fades into the background for a while.
The last such appearance was just over a year ago, but it sure looks like we're in the midst of another one right now.
There are a number of items pushing the latest round of e-waste discussions forward, but among the most interesting -- and widely discussed, as near as I can tell -- is research from the Computer Sciences Corporation that calls e-waste the biggest challenge facing the IT industry.
David Moschella, one of the researchers at CSC, writes:
The IT industry is already energy-neutral in terms of its consumption and savings, but there is still no credible scenario for safely managing the global production and disposal of literally billions of personal computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices. Yet even today, improving the energy efficiency of IT equipment is still the overwhelming focus of the Green IT community.
While energy efficiency is recommended business hygiene, the total energy consumption of IT hardware is not a serious societal problem. Most estimates suggest that all of the world's data centers, PCs and networks consume between 1.5% and 3% of the world's energy... However, the flip side of the amazing technological progress that has made the iPhone possible is rapid product obsolescence and ever-rising piles of electronic waste (e-waste), much of it disposed of in either illegal or unethical ways, usually in the developing world.
That's the first time I've heard that IT is "energy-neutral" -- it takes to the next level the idea that the ICT industry's 2 percent of global carbon emissions are more than offset by the efficiencies that IT brings to the rest of the world.
But more to the point, there are a number of drivers for increased efficiency -- whether it's bottom-line savings, demands from green-minded companies and individuals, or both -- and at this point nothing is likely to stop that push, hence the call for a shift to focus on e-waste.
I spoke with Mark Vander Kooy, the VP of business development at e-waste management company CloudBlue, about trends in e-waste he's hearing from the business world, and he said the drivers for responsible e-waste management are nowhere near as loud or as compelling as those for energy efficiency.
"To sum it up in one word: risk," Vander Kooy said. "It's the environmental and data risk you're talking about. It's the lifeblood of the company, the brand and the environmental reputation of the company."
We face several problems and
We face several problems and the least mentioned is resource depletion. Some estimates suggest that accessible copper ores will run out in 25 years. Is it really more difficult to develop existing materials chemistry to reclaim scrapped materials than to excavate mountains to find fresh ore?
The disconnect appears to be between fabricators - the electronics industry - mining and extraction and recyclers. Closed loop makes it sound a little complicated but we used to extracting vast quantities of rack for a relatively low yield so why can't we extract from our e-waste? Perhaps is not sexy enough.
CloudBlue gets it, as does
CloudBlue gets it, as does the small but growing community of e-recyclers that have committed to truly sustainable e-recycling by certifying to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment. Only Certified e-Stewards can demonstrate that they've closed the loop for responsible recycling. CloudBlue has also committed to ensuring that the Standard will remain practical and effective by participating on the e-Stewards Leadership Council.
TradeWings gets it too, by having become an e-Stewards Enterprise and committing to using e-Stewards Recyclers for their e-waste.
Join CloudBlue, TradeWings and the e-Stewards movement to reduce business risk and green your e-waste recycling efforts.
CloudBlue gets it, as does
CloudBlue gets it, as does the small but growing community of e-recyclers that have committed to truly sustainable e-recycling by certifying to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment. Only Certified e-Stewards can demonstrate that they've closed the loop for responsible recycling. CloudBlue has also committed to ensuring that the Standard will remain practical and effective by participating on the e-Stewards Leadership Council.
TradeWings gets it too, by having become an e-Stewards Enterprise and committing to using e-Stewards Recyclers for their e-waste.
Join the e-Stewards movement to reduce business risk and green your e-waste recycling efforts.
Thanks for getting the word
Thanks for getting the word out, Matt, and helping net out some of the limitations we see in corporate sustainability strategies. Within the industry we serve, telecom, there’s little doubt that environmental stewardship is climbing the ladder of corporate priorities. There’s much conversation taking place around reducing the energy consumption of network devices, driven largely by the Green Touch consortium. But it's just one half of a really good idea. For no matter how energy efficient a piece of telecom/network equipment is when it’s manufactured, at some point in time it will be decommissioned and a lack of visibility will make it susceptible to a reverse logistics process that could have it abandoned in a warehouse consuming energy, carted from one location to another without a plan, or worse – sent to a landfill. As we continue to explore new ways to make the Telecom industry more eco-friendly, we need to recognize that aftermarket service and supply chains, if not managed properly, can undo a lot of the good work being done on the front-end of the development and manufacturing process. A well thought-out reuse strategy provides the level of visibility into internal stocks and the global market that can help ensure those green assets are put to their highest potential throughout their useful life, and when necessary, disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner and in full compliance with WEEE.