NetworkTigers discusses sustainability and how green tech is influencing the hardware industry.
The tech hardware industry has a problem. As the globe relies more and more on technological advancements, so has the industry come under fire for resource depletion, e-waste, and rising energy consumption. Current estimates pinpoint that the tech sector is responsible on its own for 2 to 3% of the world’s total carbon emissions each year. E-waste represents just 2% of landfill contents in the United States but 70% of total toxic waste. In the US alone, between 300 and 400 million electronic items are thrown away each year, with less than 20% recycled. The hardware industry is expected to grow next year, with an estimated CAGR of 10% over the next 10 years.
But just as tech is the problem, it has the potential to be part of the solution. The International Telecommunications Union, part of the United Nations, estimates that advancements in hardware design could help lower the world’s carbon emissions by around 17%. More efficient computing, such as multi-core CPUs and high-capacity SSDs, can streamline consumption while lasting longer for the companies that invest in them. While AI and blockchain technologies consume resources, they also have the potential to optimize electric grid consumption and increase repairability. Finally, many hardware manufacturers have taken great strides in wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources to create products that push back against barriers to widespread adoption and beat other market equivalents.
What is green tech?
Green tech is a larger movement to address the sustainability crisis in hardware. Green tech aims to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint while optimizing its resource usage. Green tech’s aims are largely to make existing technologies last longer, lowering the amount of waste generated by the industry while maximizing efficiency and reducing energy costs. It operates both on a design level and an operations level, aiming to improve hardware design and make its usage more sustainable once implemented. Green tech involves shifting usage protocols to conserve energy, pushing for more repairability and refurbishment in hardware, and ensuring that e-waste recycling guidelines are followed closely.
Consumer demand is one of the main driving factors behind more sustainable hardware tech. As users seek to lower electric bills, invest in longer-lasting designs, and protect the planet, hardware companies are also driven to meet that demand with more sustainable technology.
Sustainability in the supply chain
Manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and installation – every component of the supply chain has the potential to create an immense amount of waste or to reduce it. Sustainability in the supply chain can involve reduced transportation emissions, such as using electric vehicles in distribution or consolidating shipments so that everything arrives at once. It may also look like a more ethical sourcing of raw materials. Additionally, recycled or biodegradable materials can be implemented into the packaging and shipping stages of hardware. Overall, manufacturers and distributors should be encouraged to take a deeper look into every step of their supply chain to ensure that the entire process, from top to bottom, is as environmentally friendly as it can be.
More eco-friendly hardware tech options
- Energy-efficient data centers. Reducing data center cooling costs is one of the most imperative elements of introducing more sustainable tech. Arranging server racks to increase airflow can help keep data centers cooler. Additionally, virtualization can help reduce the hardware required in data centers.
- Purchasing refurbished hardware. Investing in quality refurbished hardware can help lower costs and reduce industry waste. Refurbished tech is efficient and cost-effective. This is an important element of the “circular economy”, or a way to keep hardware in use for longer. Choosing hardware that has received green certifications, like ENERGY STAR, can also help reduce energy costs.
- Optimized performance. Some hardware manufacturers are looking into blockchain technology and AI to optimize performance timing. These models may also involve predictive maintenance, making hardware last longer and consuming less energy during their lifecycle.
- Carbon offsets. Some companies offer carbon credits to offset their environmental impact. Selecting carbon offsets should be done carefully, as some companies have been accused of “greenwashing” or avoiding paying their fair share towards the climate crisis while cashing in on the appearance of sustainability. Carbon offsets are not a solution to the overall environmental costs of tech. However, they can be useful to a company’s portfolio, especially during a necessary round of hardware upgrades.
- Repairable. Some hardware is now designed to be more universally repairable. Companies can still double down on proprietary knowledge and design if they provide a clear path toward sustainable maintenance. Repairable hardware extends the technology lifecycle while keeping dangerous metals and difficult-to-break-down materials out of landfills and water systems.
Companies investing in sustainable technology and working within the circular economy can significantly lower their energy costs and tech investment. Furthermore, they can signal to consumers that they act on their values, building trust and helping them stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
About NetworkTigers
NetworkTigers is the leader in the secondary market for Grade A, seller-refurbished networking equipment. Founded in January 1996 as Andover Consulting Group, which built and re-architected data centers for Fortune 500 firms, NetworkTigers provides consulting and network equipment to global governmental agencies, Fortune 2000, and healthcare companies. www.networktigers.com.
