news ANALYSIS

Global e-waste on the rise as corporate IT sustainability trails: 3stepIT

14 October 2021

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espite growing concerns from businesses around the mounting corporate e-waste they produce, and its impact on the environment, sustainability remains a low priority when looking to procure new IT. This is one of the key findings from research launched this International E-waste Day by technology lifecycle management provider 3stepIT.

The survey found that over three-quarters of all European businesses agree that e-waste is a concern (77%), and a similar number of respondents believe that the pressure from their employees to act more sustainably is mounting (74%). Yet despite this, sustainability does not rank within the top three priorities when purchasing new enterprise technology, even though it need not impact business access to cutting-edge IT.

The news comes as global e-waste skyrockets, with 53.6 million tonnes generated worldwide in 2019 alone – the equivalent of throwing away 1,000 laptops every second. The pandemic has only accelerated the issue, with the average employee now operating 2.4 devices (up 14% pre-pandemic), and many businesses left to handle the disposal of swathes of redundant tech.

And further to this, only a third (37%) of businesses currently have a defined action plan to deal with e-waste, and only a quarter (28%) put responsible recycling as their main priority when disposing of old tech.

Environmental, social and corporate governance teams are also struggling to have their voices heard. Some 58% say they feel IT sustainability outcomes are often deprioritised to costs and other criteria, while 42% report they are not consulted in procurement decisions ‘most of the time’.