Libby Macgregor (Lenovo)
Credit score: Lenovo
Whereas 83 per cent of IT leaders declare their organisations place average to excessive precedence on environmental points, solely half say e-waste is disposed of responsibly.
Moreover, 60 per cent don’t monitor the quantity of e-waste their firms produce annually, new analysis from Lenovo suggests.
In the meantime, in accordance with the worldwide E-waste Monitor, high-value recoverable supplies, reminiscent of gold, conservatively valued at US$57 billion, are being misplaced to landfill and incinerators.
The analysis discovered solely 26 per cent of senior New Zealand-based IT enterprise leaders mentioned they’re very conscious of the potential financial worth that resides of their organisations’ electronic-waste.
To deliver consciousness to the potential worth of e-waste and the ability of the round economic system, Lenovo has launched a collaboration with Australia-based sustainable jeweller Holly Ryan, who has created an unique vary of rings constructed from recycled e-waste metals.
“Lenovo Treasured Metals” is a set of 4 one-off designer rings constructed from gold, silver and platinum retrieved from e-waste.
Libby Macgregor, nation supervisor for Lenovo NZ, mentioned Aotearoa IT enterprise leaders clearly understood the significance of impacting the surroundings positively, however there was extra to do to sustainably administration e-waste.
“Not solely does a accountable strategy to e-waste administration imply an important contribution to the round economic system, however there’s additionally a powerful financial worth for companies,” Macgregor mentioned.
“I’m proud we’re placing give attention to e-waste administration, and by 2025, we may have enabled the recycling and reuse of 362 million kilograms of end-of-life merchandise and 76 per cent of PC components returned to our service centre shall be repaired for future use.”
Ryan mentioned she was deeply enthusiastic about sustainability and had constructed her enterprise sourcing recycled metals and stones for her designs.
“The “Treasured Metals” vary – symbolic of the ability of the round economic system – takes moral jewelry making to the subsequent degree,” she mentioned.
“I encourage all firms to be cognisant of what property they could have inside their enterprise that may be recycled or upcycled and to place round processes in place.”
Lenovo’s asset restoration companies helps companies get probably the most out of their end-of-life {hardware}, offering an end-to-end answer to mitigate the environmental and information safety dangers related to asset disposal whereas maximising the worth potential of these property.
Lenovo intends to award the set of 4 rings to employees who volunteer in the neighborhood as a token of recognition and to boost cash by auctioning off the rings to help different philanthropic initiatives.
In April, Auckland-based Pc Recycling purchased and deployed the world’s eighth Blubox e-waste shredding and optical sorting machine with the assistance of a $1.5 million grant from the Ministry for the Setting via Te Pūtea Whakamauru Para – Waste Minimisation Fund.
