Ten Tips for Extending Computer Lifecycles and Reducing
the Environmental Impact of Your Business

Extending the life of a computer offers energy savings up to 20 times that gained by recycling. The environmental benefits of environmentally sound management of electronic equipment can be measured using the U.S. EPA’s Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator. For example, reusing 1,000 computer systems generates the following benefits: Electricity to power 681 households/yr. Removing 481 cars from road/yr. Weight of 7,195 bricks Lengthening lifecycles also delivers economic savings. For example, extending 3-year lifecycles generates the following benefits: $325 by extending to 4 yrs. $500 by extending to 4.5 yrs. $650 by extending to 5 yrs. *Savings based on every $1,000 in original cost. Include deployment costs, and residual value and disposition cost on retirement.

1. Establish clear policies
   Make sure you have clear policies associated with the acquisition, maintenance, recovery and disposition of computer equipment—throughout the life cycle. If you want to make sure you are choosing the most efficient technology, or that old computers are never exported to developing countries, make sure these objectives are reflected in your policies. Policies alone can’t ensure environmental responsibility, but they are a great place to start.
2. Know what you have
   An accurate inventory of current desktop assets—quantity, location, configuration, operability, condition—creates the foundation for a more efficient and lean approach to asset management that has significant environmental benefits.
3. Don’t let computers sit idle
   Computers decommissioned as a result of personnel changes or reorganizations, as well as surplus and damaged inventories, can collect in any number of areas in your business. Idle computers lose 3 to 5 percent of their value each month and represent a security risk. You can set aside some of these machines to serve as hot spare replacement inventory, but the rest should be either redeployed internally, sold, or donated to charity.
4. Set standards for reuse
   What are the minimum technology requirements for various groups and users across your business? Answering this question opens the door to extended life and greater reuse of idle assets and may create opportunities to migrate technology through your organization as new computers are brought in to meet the needs of your most demanding users and their computers are moved to users with more basic requirements.
5. Automate processes
   Large organizations need a way to automate the process of evaluating and routing decommissioned computers. Outsourced technology disposition platforms are available today that remove the burden of manually assessing assets and making decisions about their disposition.

6. Repair and refurbish to extend life
   Many computers can be effectively refurbished or upgraded to extend their lifecycle. Where three or four year lifecycles were once the norm, a number of organizations are reducing IT costs – and environmental impact – by extending the lifecycles of their desktop computers to five years or more. Repair and refurbishment supports these efforts whenever repair costs are less than 40 percent of purchasing new.

   Hot spare programs can offset costly warranty extensions when extending lifecycles beyond the warranty period.

7. Don’t neglect security
   Don’t forget that many of the computers you are dealing with may contain sensitive or regulated data that must be dealt with prior to disposition. Laptops are especially vulnerable to loss and theft. Ensure effective data security is integrated into all asset management processes, particularly at every change of control throughout the lifecycle.
8. Your junk is another organization’s treasure
   Just because a computer has no value to you, doesn’t mean it has no value. Too many corporate assets are disposed of prematurely while non-profits go begging for basic technology. Consider charitable donation for computers that have limited resale value. TechSoup has created a channel for getting needed technology into the hands of deserving non-profits.
9. Understand the cost of recycling
   It costs more to recover the materials in a computer than those materials are worth. Those materials, many of which are hazardous, need to be recovered to keep them out of the waste stream. Be skeptical of recyclers who offer to take obsolete technology for free as they are likely extracting valuable components and shipping the remaining scrap and hazardous material overseas, causing significant environmental damage and endangering workers. In addition, some recyclers will claim to have a policy against shipping e-waste overseas and then simply resell your e-waste to another company with no such policy. Demand proof that your materials were handled in a responsible manner consistent with your policies.
10. Communicate
    Look for opportunities to communicate your policies and processes throughout your organization. And don’t forget to report the good news: after a period of time focusing on reuse and responsible recycling you’ll have positive results to share—with both your internal and external stakeholders—regarding financial savings and reduced environmental impact.

Environmental Assessment