Two-thirds of European businesses lack an e-waste strategy: 3stepIT

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-waste is expected to hit a massive 74m metric tonnes by 2030, and new research suggests European businesses and enterprises could be contributing to the problem.In a new study by 3stepIT, one of Europe’s leading technology lifecycle management providers, almost two-thirds of UK and European IT decision-makers (65%) say they do not have an environmentally sustainable process in place when it comes to disposing of IT devices.

This is concerning, as 70% of businesses across the UK and mainland Europe confirmed that Covid-19 had prompted their organisation to accelerate digital transformation, to future proof against crises, like the pandemic. As a result, a quarter (26%) of these businesses now have more laptops that need to be disposed of.

This hints at a tidal wave of redundant IT potentially set to hit landfill, despite increasing pressure to act on climate change. There are growing calls for the business community to lead the way with sustainable solutions, accelerated by the recent IPCC report. 74% of respondents said they are now under pressure to become more sustainable.

Encouragingly, three-quarters (74%) of European businesses are concerned about the amount of e-waste they produce. A third (31%) also expect more pressure in the future to manage their business technology sustainably.

Carmen Ene, CEO at 3stepIT said: “There has never been a more critical point for businesses to ramp up action on sustainability. Yet too often valuable technology is needlessly ending up in landfill.

“To truly tackle climate change we need a change in attitude about how we buy, own and consume technology. This means looking at new models of ownership that drive down the cost to the environment and to business."