Written By: Namrata Sengupta
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The global surge in electronic waste (e-waste) poses a critical environmental and health challenge. In fact, according to the UN’s recent Global E-Waste Monitor Report, “The world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.”

The report estimates that in “only 12 years, the amount of e-waste generated per year worldwide almost doubled, to 62 billion kilograms in 2022. It is projected to increase to 120 billion kilograms in 2030.” Most of the e-waste ends up in landfills, as currently, only 22.3% of e-waste is collected and recycled. The problem here is that e-waste is nonbiodegradable. It also poses a significant health hazard and pollutes land, water and air.

The primary factors behind e-waste growth are the ever-expanding global data sphere, rapidly evolving technology, shorter device refresh cycles, increased appetite for electronic devices and insufficient recycling of e-waste.

Businesses, in their bid to safeguard data privacy, also contribute significantly to the e-waste crisis by employing traditional physical device-destruction methods like shredding, degaussing or burning to protect data when retiring or disposing of IT assets.

Many of these devices could have been reused after repair and refurbishing. If we talk about e-waste generated due to the physical destruction of potentially usable drives, the numbers are astonishing.

Device reuse will be an important factor in mitigating the hazardous effects of e-waste on the environment and human health.

Device reuse is the practice of prolonging the life of IT devices by refurbishing and repairing them for reuse rather than disposing of them physically. It plays a major role in reducing the generation of e-waste and its impact on the environment.

Organizations should practice secure media sanitization over device destruction to promote device reuse. Global bodies like NIST with their Special Publication 800-88 and the IEEE with Standard for Sanitizing Storage have stated that media sanitization techniques like overwriting, cryptographic erasure, block erasure, etc., are sufficient for permanent data removal beyond the scope of recovery, eliminating the need for physical destruction. Erased devices can be reused without the fear of compromising data confidentiality.

There are several ways that device reuse addresses the e-waste crisis. Here are a few to consider:

• Reduction Of E-Waste In Landfills: Repairing and refurbishing increases the life span of IT devices, and they can be used for longer durations. This helps prevent operational devices from ending up in landfills and stops the leaching of hazardous material into soil and water resources.

• Reduction Of Dependency On Mining: When IT devices are used for longer, they reduce the dependency on mining for new raw materials. It helps reduce the ecological impact of mining, like deforestation, loss of natural habitat and environmental degradation.

• Energy Conservation And Reduction In Emission: A significant portion of the energy consumed by a laptop in its entire life cycle is used during the manufacturing process. Reusing devices significantly cut down on energy consumption and carbon emissions during manufacturing and transportation. It thereby reduces the carbon footprint of an organization and helps diminish the effects of e-waste.

• Promotes A Circular Economy: Reuse is a crucial component of a circular economy. It supports circularity by keeping devices and materials in use for longer durations, creating a sustainable business model that prioritizes refurbishment and recycling over physical destruction.

Ways To Implement Effective Device Reuse Strategies

As e-waste reaches alarming levels, the need for sustainable practices is more urgent than ever. Merely destroying devices worsens the crisis, endangering both the environment and human health. Embracing device reuse not only mitigates the adverse effects of e-waste but also fosters a circular economy, advocating sustainability and mindful consumption.

Implementing an effective device reuse strategy requires careful consideration. Based on the considerations above, organizations should adopt a holistic approach to ensure their strategies are in line with their organizational sustainability goals and that their device reuse practices can be easily integrated with their ongoing operations.

Here are a few ways that businesses can implement device reuse within their organization:

1. Create a device reuse policy. An organizational device reuse policy should establish clear parameters for selecting IT assets that can be reused. This policy should consider parameters like devices’ computing power, feasibility of repurposing, cost of repair, upgrades required, device refresh cycles, etc.

2. Perform data erasure. Removing sensitive data from the devices before they are reused is a must to ensure data confidentiality and comply with data privacy laws. Use a certified data wiping tool to ensure permanent data removal and also generate proof of destruction for audit purposes.

3. Repair or refurbish. Perform hardware diagnostics to get a real-time picture of the device’s health. Repair or replace the parts that are faulty and reuse the device to its fullest extent.

4. Repurpose devices. Older devices should be repurposed for different roles. For example, a laptop previously used by the R&D team for high computing tasks can be reassigned to the admin department, where only basic computing power is needed.

5. Recycle faulty parts. Computer components that have stopped working or are faulty should be responsibly recycled to ensure that they don’t end up in landfills. Recycling conserves resources and reduces the environmental impact of mining for new raw materials, reducing Scope 3 emissions and thereby promoting sustainability.

The time has come to prioritize reuse over destruction and proactively tackle the e-waste challenge. With these best practices, organizations can take the necessary proactive steps to help effectively address the e-waste crisis.