• Case Lookup
  • Emerge Login
Locate Us
Join Us
Français
Compugen logo Home
  • Business Solutions ^
    • Business Solutions
    • Datacentre & Cloud ^
      • Datacentre & Cloud
      • Converged Datacentre
      • Cloud Computing
      • Server Virtualization
      • Enterprise Storage
      • Data Management & Protection
    • Communication & Collaboration ^
      • Communication & Collaboration
      • Business Communications
      • Networking
      • Wireless
    • End User Computing ^
      • End User Computing
      • Desktop Management
      • Mobility
      • Application Delivery
    • Security
  • Products & Services ^
    • Products & Services
    • Managed & Packaged Services ^
      • Managed & Packaged Services
      • Managed Solutions
      • End User Support
      • Infrastructure Support
      • Software Management
      • Managed Print
      • Packaged Services
    • Professional Services ^
      • Professional Services
      • Program & Project Management
    • Support & Maintenance ^
      • Support & Maintenance
      • Imaging & Deployment
      • Ongoing Maintenance
      • Staffing
    • Asset Disposal & Recycling
    • Hardware & Software Management ^
      • Hardware & Software Management
      • Hardware
      • Software
      • Online Lifecycle Management (Emerge)
    • Financing
  • Industry ^
    • Industry
    • K-12 Education
    • Higher Education
    • Heathcare
    • Retail
    • SMB
  • Learning Center ^
    • Learning Center
    • Blog
    • Customer Stories
    • Events & Training
    • News & Awards
    • Resources
  • About ^
    • About
    • Our Story
    • Leadership
    • Our Offices
    • Our Partners
    • Careers ^
      • Careers
      • Current Opportunities
    • Green Initiatives
    • Community Involvement
  • Contact Us
IT Buzz Banner

Looking for a little inspiration, some ideas or trusted advice? We've got you covered.

The Undeniable Connection Between Sustainability and Profitability

Posted By Brent Smiley Vice-President, ITAD Solutions, Compugen Finance July 31, 2020 in Green IT, sustainability

Shutterstock 639710785

The sun revolves around the Earth.

640K is all the computing power anyone will ever need.

Environmental sustainability and business interests are mutually exclusive.

What do all three of these statements have in common?

At one point in our history, they were accepted as fact. Unfortunately, one of these statements is still believed by a significant segment of our society. In the hopes of dispelling a lingering myth, I'd like to share some insight about the connected nature of sustainability and profitability in business.

Changing demographics

At one time, sustainability was viewed as an investment that dipped into profits and often came at the cost of business efficiency. There was also limited perceived shareholder and customer value from these costly investments. But it only takes a glance at global headlines, a peek into any classroom, or review of many organizations' policies to see that times have changed. The combination of millennial contingent that now makes up the largest customer and employee demographic, and a profoundly more educated and engaged global has led to focus and interest in 'making a difference'. The result? When it comes to choosing the products and services to consume and the organizations to work for, being viewed as a responsible corporate citizen has never been more important.

According to a 2019 brand survey from Edelman Research, 81% of respondents indicated "I must be able to trust the brand to do what is right," as a major factor when considering purchases. Equally interesting, a Fast Company study found that 40% of millennials said that they would take a pay cut to work for at an environmentally responsible company.

Bottom line, today, making sustainability a priority will not only attract the best employees, but it's also a smart route to more customers and better profitability.

Sustainability in IT

The IT industry needs to pay particular attention to the notion of reducing e-waste and its carbon footprint. Studies (World Economic Forum, 2019, UNEP) show that electronics will contribute more than 50 million metric tons of e-waste to landfill this year. In terms of combined weight, that's the equivalent of nine Great Pyramids of Giza. Sadly, only about 20% of that gets recycled.

This is why one of the hottest sustainability topics in the industry today is the circular (aka the closed-loop) economy - a model in which keeping a product in use and operational as long as possible is encouraged, and where waste is minimized through end-of-life recycling. To be effective, circular economy principles should be considered during the manufacturing and design phase of new technology and recycled content as well as ease of repair initiatives. In a truly circular economy, recycling becomes the second choice after the possibility of giving devices a second life, or repurposing is fully explored. The concept of life extension, either through repair or reuse is one of, if not the most important phase of the electronics circular economy. In fact, repurposing technology has a quantifiable environmental impact and reduces the need for new technology to be manufactured. Many manufacturers today publish information about the carbon footprint of the devices they produce, allowing clear visibility into CO2 emissions created in the manufacturing process as well as during the anticipated use of a device.

Putting theory into practice

Sustainability has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It’s why I’ve chosen this area as a professional focus. But as far as we’ve come, we still have such a long way to go to significantly reduce our carbon footprint, especially in the IT sector.

That’s why I’m proud to be working with an amazing team at Compugen where we look at real, not symbolic, steps to help alleviate the problem. For example, Compugen Finance achieved a global first, when we developed a protocol whereby End-of-First-Life™ electronics could be converted directly into carbon credits. The carbon credits (and trade-in value) are generated when technology is traded in, refurbished and then repurposed for others to use; thus reducing the need for new technology to be produced. The organization that donated the items is then able to apply for carbon credits against their own carbon footprint.


To further encourage the reuse of devices, we recently developed an initiative, FutureValue, that provides cash and carbon credits at the moment of purchase. In exchange, organizations give those devices back to Compugen at end-of-first-life, so that we can refurbish, and then redeploy them to others. The program ensures a second life for IT assets that might otherwise have gone to landfill. Thus, providing a sustainable technology model and contributing to the circular economy.

The beauty of the closed-loop economy is that it provides a win-win in the sustainability/profitability discussion. And in doing so, should once-and-for-all dispel the myth that the two notions are incompatible.

We are not far from the day when the mere suggestion that sustainability and profitability are mutually exclusive will draw a confused reaction – perhaps similar to one that might come from the suggestion that…well…the sun revolves around the Earth.

To find out more about how you can promote sustainability in your workplace, or maybe just to discuss 17th Century scientific fallacies, reach out anytime. I’d love to hear from you.

Green IT Corporate citizenship Digital Workspace

< Previous Article

3 Strategies to Adapt to Remote Work from a Housebound Road Warrior

Next Article >

10 Ways to Make Smaller Home Office Spaces Feel Open

Sponsored

Green IT Side Bar

Sponsored

Tech Refresh Popcast

We address the bottom of the iceberg. Sign up and get relevant and timely content about our approach to business through an IT lens.

Navigation

Business Solutions

  • Industry
  • Datacentre & Cloud
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • End User Computing
  • Security

Products & Services

  • Managed & Packaged Services
  • Professional Services
  • Support & Maintenance
  • Asset Disposal & Recycling
  • Hardware & Software Management
  • Financing

Customer Stories

  • Corporate
  • Education
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Finance
  • Healthcare
  • Non-profit
  • Public Sector
  • Retail

About

  • Our Story
  • Leadership
  • Our Offices
  • Our Partners
  • Green Initiatives
  • Community Involvement
  • Awards

Careers

  • Working at Compugen
  • Current Opportunities

Contact

  • Find A Location

News & Articles

  • Find A Location
  • Awards

Client Login

  • Case Lookup
  • Emerge Login

Industry

  • K-12 Education
  • Healthcare
  • Higher Education
  • Retail
  • SMB

Connect With Us

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • linkedin
IT Buzz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • National Master Standing Offers (NMSO)
  • Terms of Product Sales
  • Terms for the Supply of Services

©2023, Compugen Inc. Website by Caffeine Creations.