The very concept of IT, from the creation of hardware to the constant reliance on energy sources puts significant pressure and demand on natural resources – swapping innovation and information for greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of green spaces to make way for factories and other facilities.
With that said, businesses are channelling more energy and investment into funding sustainability projects and meeting their corporate responsibility needs – with green IT solutions just one area into which research is constantly being done to meet and surpass demand.
Here are some ways in which your business can nurture more sustainable and environmentally friendly IT practices.
Did you know that around 81% of a single computer’s total energy is used up and exhausted during the building process? And did you know that electronic waste is fast becoming one of the environment’s most damaging factors, with 110 million tons of e-waste expected to be polluting the environment by 2050?
When talking about IT sustainability, it follows that the lifecycle of each device is as important as the operational use and management of your business IT. This involves looking at how to monitor your energy consumption, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and champion greener solutions for the sake of your brand image and company expenses (because let’s be honest, energy costs are rising and sustainable practices are, for many, the only way to go!)
Re-evaluate data centre practices
This is one of the biggest ways that a business can help to promote greener IT practices, because it encourages in-office actions which will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. To put this into figures, when you reduce the climate of your data centre by a few degrees, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 8%. Other things you can do to boost the sustainability of your physical IT infrastructure include:
Choose sustainable hardware from reputable vendors
It is often found that those businesses who work in the IT sector are more sustainable than those who don’t, purely because they have a better understanding of innovative technologies and the little changes that businesses can make to green-up their technology footprint.
Nonetheless, working with a company like Quantum IT Distribution can help you to outline and communicate your requirements in sourcing the best equipment for your business – with the organisation able to match your needs with the greenest and most effective hardware solutions for you.
Focus on the life of your devices after you’re done with them
Refurbishing and reusing a computer is around 80 times more sustainable and beneficial to the environment than sending it to landfill. Not to mention, when you practice the art of recycling devices to those charities and educational facilities that need them, you also bolster your company’s charitable donations and corporate responsibility goals.
Empower teams to focus on their own sustainability goals
A great way to promote sustainability in your business is to let each team create their own goals, with rewards and even budget increases for those who demonstrate a commitment to creating greener and more environmentally friendly practices. This unites everyone in the business under the same common goal, while recognising those who go the extra mile and adding extra incentive.
Make sustainable IT a priority
When everyone in the business is working to the same goals, whether they be revenue-focussed, focussed on engagement and outreach, or committed to reducing consumption, sustainable IT becomes less challenging. When everyone from leadership down to the ground workers is united and committed to integrating a greener IT infrastructure, you turn sustainable IT into a priority rather than a distant goal.
Green IT – is it possible?
Not only is sustainable IT possible, but it should be part and parcel of the way we grow our IT structures within business of all shapes and sizes. Whichever way your business decides to tackle sustainability, from partnering with a recycling organisation and donating unwanted and unused technology to considering your vendors, focussing on IT sustainability means looking at your hardware and your internal set up – and making the necessary changes to both.
Quantum IT Distribution can match their clients with the IT hardware and products that meet their needs while promoting a greener future.
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