How ITAD Can Reduce Carbon Emissions Up to 28 Times More Than Recycling

• Blog Post

Companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint often overlook the emissions-reducing potential of effective IT asset disposition (ITAD). While recycling helps, reuse can avoid up to 28 times more emissions. The bulk of IT-related emissions comes from manufacturing, making reuse the most impactful strategy. Beyond emissions, responsible ITAD prevents toxic e-waste, supports the circular economy, and strengthens corporate social responsibility. With tools like Scope 4 avoided emissions reporting, companies can demonstrate measurable environmental performance. A trusted ITAD provider like ICT ensures secure, sustainable processing, transforming asset disposition from a compliance task into a strategic opportunity for carbon reduction and value recovery.

• Reuse reduces carbon emissions up to 28x more than recycling
• Reporting Scope 4 Avoided Emissions enhances sustainability reporting
• Responsible ITAD also avoids toxic waste, supports underserved communities with refurbished tech, and enhances brand reputation

How ITAD Can Reduce Carbon Emissions Up to 28 Times More Than Recycling: A Practical Guide for Businesses

In an era where sustainability is not just a trend but a critical business imperative, companies are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One often-overlooked avenue for achieving this goal is through effective IT asset disposition (ITAD). By prioritizing the refurbishment and reuse of decommissioned assets and responsible recycling as a last resort, businesses can significantly reduce carbon emissions, contribute to a circular economy, and enhance their environmental and corporate social responsibility performance.

Understanding the Carbon Footprint of IT Assets

Manufacturing new electronics is a resource-intensive process that contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to a recent study, the carbon footprint of manufacturing popular electronic devices can be substantial:

Laptop Computer: 243 kg CO2e
Desktop Computer: 486 kg CO2e
Tablet: 121 kg CO2e
Smartphone: 67 kg CO2e

For organizations with large IT inventories, these emissions add up quickly. For example, replacing 500 laptops contributes approximately 121,500 kg of CO2e to a company’s Scope 3 emissions. Moreover, the production of these devices accounts for 67% ± 15% of their total lifetime emissions, underscoring the importance of extending their useful lifespan, even if it is not at your own company.

Digital technologies already contribute between 1.4% and 5.9% of global GHG emissions, with 31% of those emissions coming from notebooks, smartphones, desktops, and displays alone. Additionally, e-waste emissions have skyrocketed, increasing 53% between 2014 and 2020, and releasing 580 million metric Tonnes of CO2e in 2020. Without significant changes, this figure could rise to 852 million metric Tonnes of CO2e annually by 2030. This growth is fueled by the fast pace of technological advancements, planned obsolescence, and restrictive policies that hinder repair and refurbishment.

We all know that upgrading our tech is not an option. Hanging on to outdated tech can cost businesses enormous amounts of money in lost employee productivity and costly downtime. However, when it is time to upgrade and we initiate the ITAD process right away, and utilize a qualified ITAD MSP who prioritizes reuse, we have the opportunity to help reduce overall emissions. Let’s take a look!

The Carbon Reduction Potential of ITAD

A well-managed ITAD process can transform a company’s environmental impact by avoiding unnecessary emissions. The key is to focus on reuse over recycling, as reuse represents a complete source reduction in carbon emissions while recycling is still a labor-intensive process that itself produces emissions, even though the net result is a reduction of overall emissions. Let’s take a look at these numbers to show how responsible ITAD strategies impact carbon reduction:

1. Reuse and Refurbishment

When electronics are refurbished and reused rather than recycled or landfilled, it reduces the need for manufacturing new products, which is where the majority of IT-related emissions are generated. For instance, reusing portable IT like laptops can reduce emissions by up to 29.83 metric tonnes (MT) CO2e per short ton of laptops, compared to only 1.07 MT CO2e for recycling that same short ton of laptops. That avoids nearly 28 times the emissions compared to recycling!

2. Ethical Recycling as a Last Resort

Recycling is always preferred over disposal in a landfill which adds additional carbon emissions to the atmosphere, but also contributes to soil, water, and air pollution. However, recycling is not nearly as effective as reuse at reducing emissions. Recycling electronics typically achieves a reduction in emissions of -0.837 MT CO2e per short ton, averaged over all electronics categories, compared to reuse, which results in emissions reductions of -18.57 MT CO2e per short ton, averaged over all electronics categories.

Another issue with recycling is that only 22.3% of e-waste was properly recycled in 2022. While that number rose from 17.4% in 2019, it is expected to drop again since the global e-waste problem is growing 5 times faster than recycling facilities, highlighting the need to prioritize reuse while we develop the infrastructure for more robust recycling practices.

3. Reporting Scope 4 Avoided Emissions

ITAD practices that prioritize reuse generate Scope 4 avoided emissions by keeping assets in circulation longer and reducing the demand for new manufacturing. This contributes to a circular economy, where materials and products are refurbished, reused, and recycled, minimizing waste and emissions. While Scope 4 Avoided Emissions cannot be used to offset your Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions, it can be reported separately on your sustainability reports to highlight your company’s commitment to corporate responsibility.

Beyond Carbon: Additional Environmental and Social Benefits

The environmental benefits of responsible ITAD extend far beyond carbon emissions. Proper management of retired IT assets can also:

Prevent Toxic Waste: Carbon emissions are not the only problem with e-waste. With e-waste in particular, the biggest concern is the hundreds of hazardous materials they contain, including things like lead, mercury, cadmium, and persistent organic pollutants like chlorofluorocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). By keeping devices out of landfills, businesses reduce the risk of soil and water contamination and possible legal liability via the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act if their assets are discovered causing environmental contamination.
Promote Positive Social Impact: Refurbished electronics are resold at reduced costs to educational institutions, non-profits, and underprivileged communities and individuals, bridging the digital divide and putting technology in the hands of those who otherwise could not afford it. You can also donate the proceeds from a cash-positive ITAD process to charities, further enhancing your positive social impact.
Enhance Corporate Leadership Accountability: Reducing carbon emissions through ITAD also strengthens corporate leadership accountability by demonstrating accountability and transparency in resource management. By adopting responsible ITAD practices, companies can align with global sustainability standards, reduce regulatory risks, enhance stakeholder trust, and gain the support of their employees, who can take pride in working for a socially and environmentally responsible company.
Strengthen Brand Reputation: As consumers and stakeholders become increasingly eco-conscious, companies demonstrating a commitment to sustainability can strengthen their brand reputation and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

A Real-World Example: ICT’s Mission Reuse

ICT’s Mission Reuse program exemplifies how strategic ITAD can drive carbon reductions and business value. By prioritizing reuse and remarketing over recycling and having a zero-landfill policy already in place, 90% of assets processed through ICT are reused, with the remaining 10% being responsibly recycled in vetted, local, and fully certified recycling facilities. This approach not only minimizes emissions but also generates revenue from remarketed assets, turning ITAD from a cost center into a profit center that can be put back into your IT budget, reducing the cost of upgrading your tech.

Case Study

In a series of projects with a medical services company, ICT has helped the company prioritize reuse and generate a cash-positive ITAD process. To date, they have also generated an amazing -219,775 kg CO2e of Scope 4 Avoided Emissions from the reuse of their retired assets. Since not every asset was reusable, a small percentage was recycled, generating an additional -5,168 kg CO2e for a total of -224,943 kg CO2e reported as Scope 4 Avoided Emissions.

Since ITAD does generate some Scope 3 emissions from transportation, they also tracked those for emissions reporting. Scope 3 emissions resulting from transportation released 3,613 kg CO2e. To put this into perspective, this means the total net project emissions were -224,943 kg CO2e avoided emissions + 2,467 kg CO2e from transportation = -227,410 kg CO2e, a huge overall emissions reduction!

ICT offers complete carbon emissions reporting upon request to all of its clients, making it easy for them to incorporate their numbers into their sustainability reporting.

Conclusion: ITAD as a Strategic Business Decision

Adopting an ITAD strategy that prioritizes reuse, refurbishment, and responsible recycling is a practical step toward achieving corporate sustainability goals. Not only does it reduce carbon emissions, but it also enhances corporate governance, reduces operational risks, and improves brand reputation. By making informed ITAD decisions, companies can contribute to a more sustainable future while optimizing their IT budgets and supporting a circular economy.

For more information on how ICT’s Mission Reuse can help your organization achieve its sustainability goals, contact us today. You can also find more information in our white paper on Going Beyond E-Recycling: How Smart ITAD Avoids Up To 28 Times More CO2 Emissions and our white paper on Case Studies of Successful Carbon Emissions Reductions in ITAD.

Chart: Carbon Emissions Comparison for Source Reduction (Reuse), Recycling, Incineration, and Landfilling. Data from US EPA WARM.

Graph of carbon emissions or reductions from IT disposal comparing reuse, recycling, incineration, and landffill

Selected References

Apple. (2023). Environmental Progress Report. Apple. https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Progress_Report_2023.pdf

Chen, M.J., O.A. Ogunseitan (2021). Zero E-waste: Regulatory impediments and blockchain imperatives. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 15 (2021), p. 114. https://escholarship.org/content/qt80v7g7qg/qt80v7g7qg_noSplash_77f9d5b664fd0f9eade95a3d201ef0bd.pdf?t=qpg0qh

EPA. (2018, August 15). Summary of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act | US EPA. US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act

‌GEC, (2021). State of sustainability research: Climate change mitigation. Global Electronics Council https://globalelectronicscouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/GEC_Climate_Change_SOSR_DRAFT_For_Public_Comment_1APR2021.pdf

ICT Mission Reuse (n.d.) ICT Mission Reuse. Retrieved April 8, 2024, https://mission-reuse.com/

Read, S., & Shine, I. (2022, September 20). We know Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. But what are Scope 4? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/09/scope-4-emissions-climate-greenhouse-business/

Singh, N., & Ogunseitan, O. A. (2022). Disentangling the worldwide web of e-waste and climate change co-benefits. Circular Economy, 1(2), 100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cec.2022.100011

UNITAR. (2024). Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling. https://unitar.org/about/news-stories/press/global-e-waste-monitor-2024-electronic-waste-rising-five-times-faster-documented-e-waste-recycling

US EPA WARM (2019) Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Electronics. US Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-06/documents/warm_v15_electronics.pdf

‌US EPA WARM ARCHIVES (n.d.) Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/warm/pdfs/chapter3.pdf

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