SUSTAINABILITY
A decade with my notebook: a small but impactful commitment to reduce e-waste Sustainability is becoming a priority for many businesses, but in the drive to have the latest technology, many perfectly usable electrical items are cast aside – but this should stop, says Sören Enholm, CEO of TCO Development.
products that often have alarmingly short lifespans before they're cast aside. This business model is unsustainable, which is why the Circular Electronics Initiative, a collective of 28 organisations, unites with the shared goal of advocating for the sustainable use of IT products among policymakers, corporations, and the public. Toxic e-waste is accumulating at a record rate of about 15,187 Big Ben’s every year. When it comes to electronics, the single most impactful action consumers can take is extending the life of existing products. For instance, in the case of notebook computers, more than 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions during its lifetime comes from the manufacturing phase, according to research by TCO Certified in 2020. As Sophie Charpentier, project manager (PhD) at Chalmers Industriteknik, another member of the Circular Electronics Initiative,
In a world marked with rapid technological consumption, I wanted to take a different path and lead by example. That’s why I decided to make a small but impactful commitment to take a stand against the issue of e-waste by committing to keep my trusty notebook laptop for 10 years. Why did I do this you may ask? As CEO of TCO Development, the organisation responsible for the global sustainability certification for IT products, TCO Certified, and a member of the Circular Electronics Initiative, I wanted to demonstrate to our business community that by taking good care, you can extend the life and prevent that product ending up in a landfill. Today, as my 10-year-old notebook still runs smoothly, I believe it's time to share three essential strategies to help reduce unnecessary e-waste and to help save our planet.
Sören Enholm CEO
tcocertified.com
Extending lifespans Our current linear economy is centred around extracting virgin natural resources to manufacture
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