The pros and cons of enterprise refurbished tech use

Good vs bad

New tech was once seen as a smart investment – guaranteeing speed, security, and efficiency. Yet as devices grew and demand scaled, this became untenable, both financially, and sustainably speaking. Since 2010, the amount of e-waste has grown five times faster than formal recycling collection rates and according to the United Nations, the quantity of e-waste is set to rise to 82bn kg by 2030 – the equivalent of 2 million trucks full of old gadgets.

Manufacturers accused of “planned obsolescence” (the act of deliberately shortening lifespans and forcing people into upgrades they don’t need or want) were part of the problem. The flood of new releases leaving businesses questioning the value of constant, and often costly, upgrades was another. As sustainability became a priority, refurbished tech emerged as the obvious, responsible solution, thus cementing the idea that new tech is inherently wasteful, and refurbished is best for business and the planet.

Yet this is only part of a much bigger picture.

In reality, a brand-new laptop can be more sustainable than a refurbished one, if used and managed efficiently, while a refurbished device can be equally wasteful if it ends up gathering dust in a storage room. There are also security risks to consider. Older devices may lack the latest security updates, leaving businesses vulnerable to cyber attacks or data breaches and creating compliance gaps.

Then there are the businesses that simply can’t do without the latest high-spec devices. Designers, architects, programmers and video producers are just a handful of roles and industries that need cutting-edge tech, as and when it launches, in order to handle their complex workflows, and high-performance applications.

Relying on refurbished or older hardware can mean compromising on efficiency, creativity and even client satisfaction.

Ultimately, sustainability in IT has almost little to do with the age of your tech. It’s about making sure every device is fit for purpose, deployed properly, and managed the best it can be through smart lifecycle management.

Poor IT decisions

Even businesses with the best intentions can fall into device mismanagement, underuse, or replacing tech for the wrong reasons. Some cling onto outdated hardware for as long as possible, to avoid unnecessary waste and maximise their investment. Others buy more devices than they need with features they’ll never use – just in case.

While many are locked into rigid contracts with traditional leasing providers that force them to lease in bulk, or replace perfectly good laptops on a fixed upgrade cycle. Often because flexible, cost-effective providers have been lacking, leaving them with no other choice.
Yet this all creates a false sense of sustainability.

Hoarding tech or stockpiling for a rainy day leads to inefficiencies, higher energy use, security risks, and, ironically, more waste. Regardless of whether the devices were new or refurbished.

Unused tech doesn’t just take up space either; it creates graveyards of assets worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds slowly depreciating in value.

Passing devices down to new hires or similar is the next obvious choice but even this creates more issues than it solves. Hand-me-downs often slow performance, cause security risks, damage productivity, and lower morale. If just one employee spends 20 minutes a day waiting for slow applications or frozen screens, a business loses 86 hours, or two full weeks of work every year. A number that quickly becomes eye-watering when multiplied across teams.

And then what happens when devices finally reach end-of-life – because recycling isn’t always as simple as it sounds? A huge amount of e-waste doesn’t make it through formal systems because electronics require specialist facilities. If companies don’t have the right processes in place, their “sustainable” tech still ends up in landfill.

Simply put, poor IT decisions, however well intentioned, don’t solve the sustainability problem; they just delay it. The only true solution is a smart lifecycle strategy.

Smarter choices

Making smart IT choices isn’t just blindly choosing between new and refurbished, it’s about making sure every device is used to its full potential.

It involves switching to a zero-stock policy where businesses only procure what they need, when they need it. It involves auditing inventory, tracking how devices are being used, speaking to teams and matching the right tech to the right tasks at the right time. Today’s best procurement partners can even handle these steps, taking over management IT lifecycles at the click of a button.

Instead of stockpiling hardware to prepare for the unexpected, smart lifecycle management involves businesses overprovisioning the budget instead; putting aside a “rainy day” fund that allows them to react quickly when they need new tech, yet which keeps the cash on hand for when they don’t.

Making sure maintenance is a core pillar of their lifecycle strategy means businesses can keep downtime to a minimum by creating clear reporting and repair processes, and then, when it is time to phase out old tech, instead of letting it just sit in storage, they can sell, return or successfully recycle it, to put their assets back to work.

Of course, this is easier said than done, especially if an IT procurement service provider is ultimately calling the shots. But it brings into stark contrast not only why today’s approaches have failed to shift the dial, but why your choice of procurement partner is so important.

By finding a solution that goes beyond the “buy-use-discard” mindset to one built on circularity; by making changes and getting to the root of the problem; and by shifting their view away from the old vs new debate, businesses can finally start making intentional decisions. Decisions that will actually shift the dial in terms of their business but also the planet.