Laptops will be given new lease of life

A critical mass (40%) of IT leaders believe one in five laptops bought by enterprises will be pre-used by 2028, according to a poll1 by Circular Computing. The survey of IT leaders from Microsoft, Dell, HP, Atos, Lenovo and others attending Circular Computing’s Re: Sustainable IT Summit, explored avenues to circularity in the IT sector.

An overwhelming majority (86%) of those surveyed believe this critical milestone will be hit by 2032, but a sizeable minority (40%) believe this milestone will be hit by 2028.

Those pointing to a slower adoption rate highlighted one significant hurdle, manufacturers (OEMs). 85% believe that OEMs will be the main barrier to speed of adoption. Furthermore, 65% believe that end users have the power to drive faster adoption by demanding this of suppliers.

According to analysis by IT software company Nexthink2 delivered at the Summit, more than three quarters (76%) of the world’s top computer models can be remanufactured, a thorough process invented by Circular Computing to bring pre-used laptops to a condition certified to be ‘equal to or better than new’. These laptops produce just 6.34% of the CO2 emissions compared with an average new laptop and cost up to 40% less3.

The timing couldn’t be more poignant. The IT industry faces one of its biggest sustainability tests yet, as Microsoft prepares to end Windows 10 support for its laptops in October next year. It is estimated that 240million PCs could become e-waste as a result, according to Canalys4, a leading global technology market analyst firm that spoke at the Summit.

Rod Neale, Founder and CEO of Circular Computing: “Our recent Summit was as much a rallying cry as it was an eye opener for those in the driving seat in our industry, who I hope now are starting to see remanufacturing as the new new – and a way to achieve circularity in the IT sector.

“Overall, the consensus is clear: pre-used tech will be the future for enterprises. The question is how quickly are we going to get there, and who gets the glory when we do?”

Circular Computing is urging IT and sustainability leaders across the private and public sector to take one simple step towards improving the sustainability of their IT infrastructure, by calculating how many people in their organisation need state-of-the-art laptops, and how many are happy to be supplied with one that looks and performs like new. The answer, it hopes, will help to tackle e-waste, curb CO2e emissions, and help organisations meet their 2030 climate targets.