Refurbished Equipment is the Future and Here is Why

Refurbishment and other Circular Economy practices are the only way tech companies, and the environment can keep up with the growing demand for technology consumption.

If you are not refurbishing your IT equipment, you are losing thousands of dollars. By refurbishing your equipment, your company will be more energy efficient. Google has been refurbishing its own servers since 2015. The company has saved over 1 billion dollars in operation costs, purely based on energy efficiency. They state: “Once components are in inventory, there is no distinction made between refurbished and new inventory, both are considered equivalent. But what does it mean? What exactly is refurbishment, and how can it help companies to be more energy efficient? The answer is in this article.

Let’s start with refurbishment. Does it mean that I will be selling used equipment?

No, used and refurbished equipment are different. The refurbished equipment has gone through rigorous verification and test processes, so when it is sold, it is working at its 100 percent. Used technology is second-hand products that have not been tested before being re-sold.

These are the reasons why you need to refurbish a product:

• Returned products due to damage or defect.

• Unused open-box items.

• Demo products used for display.

• A product that needs to be replaced with a new one.

Energy-efficient companies use less energy in the production of a product or service. This means that by using energy efficiency strategies, companies reduce operational costs and lower carbon emissions. For example, 70- 80% of the emissions a laptop is responsible for throughout its lifecycle, come from the manufacturing process.

Companies can be more energy efficient by adopting a circular economy. The circular economy is where companies keep their electronic devices in circulation for longer. That is where refurbishment comes in place. Refurbished equipment not only can make your product Lifecycle longer but can also:

1. Increase available stock

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for tech equipment sky-rocketed. Companies were adapting to a remote work world. Manufacturers delayed shipments for several weeks due to this huge increase in demand, which caused losses in the industry. Companies had to look for solutions and started to refurbish old equipment. Refurbishing optimizes your supply chain by avoiding manufacturing waiting times.

2. Helps to stop the mining of finite raw materials

Data centers are expected to grow 500% in the next ten years, which is great news for businesses, but not so much for the environment. The endless manufacturing of tech devices will cause damage to the planet; for example, servers use 23 of the 30 Critical Raw Materials, such as silicon metal which is finite and often mined illegally. Refurbishing tech equipment minimizes the impact of data centers which consume 6% of global electricity.

3. Reduce e-waste

E-waste contains extremely toxic chemicals that cause very serious harm to humans, animals, and nature. Circular economy strategies reduce the impact of e-waste on the planet. Over 50 million tons of e-waste go to landfill every year. By choosing to refurbish your equipment, you help extend the lifecycle of your products, therefore reducing e-waste.

You don't have to do it alone

Many businesses are not aware they can save money and have a positive impact on the environment just by adopting easy practices such as refurbishment.

You can be the change this world needs, but you do not have to do it alone. Dragon Sino refurbishment services will help you adopt a circular economy strategy so you can save the planet while you save money.