London: More than 11.5 billion litres of water have been saved and over 19 million kilograms of carbon reduced[1] thanks to a partnership between Circular Computing and BSI to build trust in remanufactured laptops and maximize positive impact for the planet, the economy, and society.
Circular Computing is an IT supplier that remanufactures laptop products at volume, to a consistent high standard. BSI, the global standards and business improvement company, awarded Circular Computing a BSI Kitemark for its unique Circular Remanufacturing Process in 2021, assuring customers and giving them the confidence that the devices will meet the required standards. The Kitemark for remanufacturing certified Circular Computing’s second-life laptops to be as good as or better than new according to manufacturing standards (BS 8887).
The adherence to these principles and the ensuing BSI Kitemark has enabled Circular Computing to save customers including WWF and the Royal Mint £9-15 million, while realising significant environmental benefits. These include 73,000,000kg of resource preservation, saving 11,500,000,000 litres of water and reducing 19,280,000kg of carbon. Crucially, the company has generated zero e-waste as a result of their process and circular economy principles. For every laptop sold, five trees are planted through WeForest, further contributing to carbon sequestration.
The award of the Kitemark and partnership with Circular Computing is part of BSI’s drive to champion innovative sustainable processes and services, helping both British and global industry develop the circular economy and work towards achieving net zero. The Kitemark, which this month marks 120 years, is designed to instil confidence in products and services and reassure those using them.
The remanufacturing process prolongs the life cycle of hardware, decreasing the amount of technology that is wasted yearly. The Circular Remanufacturing Process involves an intensive 360-point quality check by fully qualified technicians within a purpose-built state-of-the-art production facility, with the Kitemark guaranteeing consistent quality in both performance and appearance.
BSI has now partnered with Circular Computing to reduce its own carbon footprint by utilising remanufactured laptops. The deal will see Circular Computing supply carbon-neutral remanufactured laptops to BSI in the UK, helping the organization to decarbonise its IT estate and reduce Scope 3 emissions.
Each remanufactured laptop will help remove 316kg of carbon from BSI’s emissions and use 190,000 fewer litres of water in production, as well as being a crucial step towards building a circular economy, reduce e-waste in the tech industry, and ultimately accelerate progress to a sustainable world.
This comes alongside BSI’s broader work to accelerate progress towards net zero. As an organization that supports some of the world’s biggest organizations, helping them to drive progress on sustainability, and as one of the creators of the ISO Net Zero Guidelines, BSI has made a public commitment to reach net zero in its operations by 2030, requiring a 42% reduction in Scope 3 emissions[2].
Matt Page, Managing Director, BSI, UK & Ireland, commented: " The creation of more sustainable systems by designing products for reuse, repair or recycling can have hugely positive impacts for people and planet. We are proud to be helping Circular Computing build trust in their innovative and important solution to the sustainability challenge.
“BSI’s partnership with Circular Computing is a crucial part of our wider goal to decarbonise our organisation. Having awarded the company a Kitemark in 2021, we’re confident that Circular Computing's remanufactured laptops are reliable, of high quality and will play a part as crucial pieces of equipment that empower our employees to excel in their work. We look forward to a long-term and fruitful partnership with Circular Computing, as we jointly work to accelerate progress to a more sustainable future."
Steve Haskew, Head of Sustainability and Social Leadership at Circular Computing added: “We’re passionate about placing remanufacturing at the centre of the IT industry for years to come. The mountain of e-waste that has been created is the result of people not respecting that technology at the end of its first lifecycle isn’t waste but instead a next-generation resource.
“Throughout our journey, BSI has been fully supportive and engaged with remanufacturing, including the awarding of the Kitemark and we’re excited to be working with them closely as part of this deal.
Dale Titcombe, Head of IT, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, concludes: "The awarding of the Kitemark to Circular Computing certified a major milestone for the perception of remanufactured devices, and the technology circular economy in general. The more take-up we see of remanufactured products, like this deal with the BSI, the more it will help remove the stigma around second-life technology and encourage others to follow suit."
The partnership follows similar noteworthy deals Circular Computing has completed with other bastions of British industry in the last year, such as the Royal Mint and WWF.
[1] Figures from Circular Computing evaluation
[2] Fuel and Energy, Business Travel, and Upstream Leased Assets
