Circular IT

As an IT lifecycle specialist, our mission is to contribute to a sustainable future by extending the lifecycle and making the best use of IT equipment. But what exactly is Circular IT and why is it so important to switch to this sustainable way of working? 

Find out how we contribute to a sustainable future and how our circular services help your organization optimize the IT lifecycle. Read on and we will show you how we use rental, as-a-Service, maintenance, sustainable processing and refurbishment to make your hardware work for you and the environment.

What is Circular IT?

Circular IT is an approach to designing, producing, using and recycling IT equipment with the aim of minimizing waste and wastage, extending the life of equipment and encouraging optimal use of IT equipment. It is about closing cycles and creating added value from IT products and services, with resource conservation and reducing CO2 emissions at its core.

The circular IT approach is based on a number of basic principles:

• Extending the life cycle and optimal use of IT equipment: This means using IT equipment for as long as possible before it is written off or thrown away. This can be done, for example, through repair, maintenance, upgrading or reuse. As a Service solutions encourage optimal use of IT equipment. 
• Minimizing waste and reducing CO2 emissions: Circular IT aims to minimize waste and reduce CO2 emissions by reducing production and transport of new IT equipment.
• Optimizing resources: Circular IT strives to make the best use of resources by using products and materials as efficiently as possible and recycling where possible.
• Collaboration across the chain: Achieving circular IT requires cooperation between all parties in the chain, from producers and suppliers to users and recyclers.

Why is Circular IT important?

Circular IT is important because it contributes to sustainability and reduces IT’s impact on the environment. IT equipment often has a short lifespan and is then discarded, leading to large amounts of electronic waste. This waste often contains harmful substances and can have a negative impact on the environment and health.

Circular IT aims to maximize the lifespan of IT equipment through reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling. Applying circular principles can reduce electronic waste and recover raw materials.

Moreover, circular IT can contribute to cost savings for organizations. Reusing equipment saves money and energy that would otherwise be needed to produce new equipment. In addition, circular IT can also create other value for companies, for example by developing new revenue streams from the sale of reused or refurbished IT equipment.

How does IRENT contribute to Circular IT?

IRENT contributes to circular IT by offering several services aimed at extending the lifecycle of IT equipment. 

• Rental and as a Service solutions: With these solutions, IRENT allows organizations to use hardware, software and services only when needed. This can be useful, for example, when extra capacity is needed temporarily, such as during busy periods or projects. By using rental and as a Service solutions, unnecessary hardware purchases are avoided, saving organizations costs and contributing to circular IT.

• Support: For your organization’s entire IT infrastructure, IRENT offers fully customized support in a flexible contract. Compared to vendor support, we can offer this more flexibly and cheaply. In addition, we resolve incidents faster. As a provider of hardware, software & services, we stock complete IT infrastructures (servers, storage, networking & appliances) and spare parts in addition to certified engineers. With our 24×7 full support level, our engineer is also on site within 4 hours. This contributes to circular IT by maximizing the lifespan of IT equipment.
• Buying up old hardware: With this service, IRENT buys up old hardware from organizations. This could include hardware that is no longer used, has become surplus or needs to be replaced. By buying up old hardware, IRENT contributes to circular IT by reusing the hardware instead of throwing it away.
• Sustainable processing and data destruction: As part of its services, IRENT offers sustainable processing and data destruction of old hardware. This means that the hardware is processed responsibly and the data on it is securely removed before it is reused or recycled. IRENT provides a certificate that customers can use in external IT audits. This prevents data loss and contributes to circular IT. This by minimizing the environmental impact of IT equipment and protecting sensitive data.
• Refurbishment: A refurbished product is a refurbished product that has been brought back to near-new condition. This is done by one of our many IT Experts. We clean the equipment inside and out. Then we do a thorough technical check where we repair or replace what doesn’t work. All old data is certified deleted. All software is upgraded. Then we determine the grade of the IT hardware. Repurposing used components and equipment avoids unnecessary production (and therefore associated CO2 emissions). 

Circular as a Service

Renting equipment through Device as a Service (DaaS) and Hardware as a Service (HaaS) is one of the ways in which organizations can contribute to a more circular IT sector. Below, we explain exactly how this works.

Device as a Service 

One example of circularity is by using Device as a Service (DaaS). DaaS is a model where organizations use IT equipment, such as laptops and desktops, instead of purchasing and owning them. This means that the supplier is responsible for managing the equipment, including repairs, upgrades and replacements. The DaaS model is based on a monthly subscription, where organizations pay for the use of the equipment, rather than one-off investments in hardware.

One of the advantages of DaaS is that it allows organizations to be more flexible in their IT needs. It allows them to respond quickly to changing business needs by easily adding or removing equipment. Moreover, the DaaS model makes it easier to predict and budget IT management costs, as there is a fixed monthly subscription fee. Also, such a model avoids a substantial time investment by the internal IT team. 

Another advantage of DaaS is that it can contribute to a more circular approach to IT. By not buying hardware, it becomes possible to use equipment designed for a longer lifespan and for reuse. This means that at the end of its life, equipment can be returned to the supplier, which is responsible for recycling or reusing the materials.

Hardware as a Service 

Hardware as a Service (HaaS) is a concept where companies borrow IT hardware instead of buying it. This includes IT equipment such as servers, storage and networking equipment.

With HaaS, the company does not have to invest in purchasing the hardware itself. Instead, a monthly fee is paid to the hardware supplier, who is then responsible for the delivery, installation, maintenance and upgrades of the hardware. This can help companies better control and predict their IT costs.

A key advantage of HaaS is that the hardware supplier is responsible for maintaining and repairing the equipment. This relieves the company of these tasks and allows it to focus on its core business. HaaS can also ensure that companies always have the latest technology, as the hardware is upgraded regularly.

HaaS also contributes to circular IT, as the supplier is responsible for reusing and recycling the hardware at the end of its useful life. In addition, HaaS offers up- and downscaling capabilities, allowing you to use hardware only when needed. Unused hardware can be used again by other organizations This prevents hardware from remaining unused in the box or ending up in landfills. This contributes to a more sustainable IT sector.

Wondering how much CO2 you can save by renting IT equipment? Then fill in the sustainability calculator now! 

The future of circular IT

The future of circular IT looks promising. More and more companies are aware of the benefits of circular IT and are taking measures to reduce their IT waste and use their IT equipment for longer. This is not only good for the environment, but can also lead to cost savings and better business results.

There are also several technological developments that can further boost circular IT. For instance, more and more sustainable materials are being developed for IT equipment, such as bioplastics and recycled metals. In addition, new business models are being developed, such as pay-per-use models and Product-as-a-Service, which allow companies to pay for the use of IT equipment instead of purchasing it.

All in all, there are promising developments underway in circular IT. It is important that businesses and consumers continue to invest in sustainable IT solutions and innovate further to make the IT sector even more circular.

Start doing business sustainably today using circular IT? Request a quote using the form on the contact page! For more information or other questions, you can also reach us by calling +31 (0)33 789 01 01 or emailing hello@irent.nl.

THE R-LADDER OF CIRCULARITY

The degree of circularity is often assessed on the basis of the so-called R-ladder. The higher the strategy  on this R-ladder of circularity strategies, the more circular the company’s strategy is. Where R1 is the highest step. IRENT tackles at least five of the strategies to promote circular IT: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Repurpose and Refurbish.