IT hardware is part of our daily lives. In museums, on stages, in libraries, and art institutions, we cannot do without equipment to engage the audience, make collections accessible, reach target groups, create online offerings, and much more.
For a 2-kilogram computer, 800 kilograms of basic raw materials and one and a half tons of water are needed. Additionally, energy is required for production, transport, and use. Moreover, current geopolitical instability exposes vulnerabilities and dependencies in the supply of raw materials needed for our IT hardware, which is indispensable for digital transformation.
At DEN, we also see that hardware policy is a good starting point for sustainability. The sustainability measurement of IT at DEN shows that hardware is responsible for 83% of the total IT emissions. The impact is mainly in the production phase of equipment. In comparison, data transfer accounts for 15% and storage for 1% of the total IT emissions. This means the greatest opportunity for sustainability lies in the choices you make regarding the purchase, lifespan, repair, and reuse of hardware.
Reducing dependency on critical materials from countries with unstable relationships takes time. Using the R-ladder for a more sustainable IT hardware policy starts with extending the lifespan of equipment. A more sustainable hardware policy not only saves resources and emissions but also costs! Good hardware policy is a prerequisite for sustainable innovation within the cultural sector.
What is IT hardware?
IT hardware includes physical equipment for computer networks and data processing. This consists of computers, servers, mobile phones, peripherals (such as printers and scanners), storage devices, network components (routers, switches), and input devices (keyboards, mice). IT hardware forms the foundation of digital systems and works together with software to process and manage information.
An important part of a hardware policy is lifecycle management. This includes determining when hardware should be replaced. The R-ladder is a useful tool for thinking about the circularity of devices like computers and smartphones. The higher the step on the R-ladder, the more circular the strategy is. R1 is the most circular, and R6 is the least.
For each step, we pose several questions to help make the hardware policy more sustainable.
R-ladder
R1. Refuse and Rethink (reject and reconsider)
Ask these questions:
- Does our organization need new equipment?
- Can we postpone or even skip the purchase?
- Is there a collaborative form possible where equipment (e.g., for video recordings for streaming) is shared?
Not purchasing is the most sustainable option.
R2. Reduce (reduce)
Ask these questions:
- How much do we need?
- Does every device need to be replaced, or can some last longer?
Encouraging employees to handle their laptops and phones carefully and providing good protective cases for devices will make them last longer and reduce environmental impact. Also, turning off all hardware when not in use contributes to a longer lifespan and saves energy.
R3. Re-use (reuse)
Ask this question:
- Is the equipment suitable for reuse, internally or externally?
If your organization has very strict hardware requirements, forcing replacement, there may be external parties that can repurpose old laptops and smartphones effectively.
R4. Repair, Refurbish, and Repurpose (repair, refurbish, revise, and repurpose)
Ask these questions:
- Can the equipment be repaired or refurbished?
- Is there another destination possible for the equipment, allowing it to be used longer?
When purchasing, pay attention to repairability and modular design (e.g., Fairphone), allowing damaged parts to be easily replaced. The European directive Right to repair encourages repairability. Refurbishing also replaces parts that are still functional but expected to fail preemptively.
European directive Right to repair
According to the European Commission (opens in new tab) premature disposal of items causes 261 million tons of CO2 equivalent, consumes 30 million tons of resources, and generates 35 million tons of waste per year in the EU.
The Right to repair directive strengthens the right to repair and aims to reduce waste. Manufacturers are encouraged to repair goods like smartphones and laptops, and consumers to extend the lifecycle of their products through repair.
R5. Recycling
Ask this question:
- Is recycling really the only remaining option?
Offer e-waste for recycling only if R1 through R4 are no longer possible. Although recycling has long been considered a sustainable strategy, the earlier phases of the sustainability ladder are more sustainable. Recycling requires a lot of energy, and not all materials in a laptop or smartphone are suitable for it. Every smartphone contains a large portion of the elements from the periodic table (e.g., gold and silver). Recycling small quantities is often hardly worth it, as it requires a lot of time, energy, and money.
The periodic table in your phone
In the European Union, about 10 million smartphones are purchased per month. Did you know that at least one-third of all elements from the periodic table are used for each smartphone? And that some of these components are gradually running out? 17 of the elements will become scarce in the coming years. There are also toxic substances involved that are extracted from mines under poor working conditions. View the periodic table here. (opens in new tab)
R6. Recover (recover energy)
Ask this question:
- Is there no other option than destroying the old equipment?
The energy released during the combustion of waste can be reused. In a circular economy, as few materials as possible end up in this phase.
Tips for a sustainable hardware policy
Also make your colleagues and audience aware of the impact a more sustainable hardware policy has. Leading by example encourages others to follow.
Include in your sustainability policy what you do with e-waste and make sustainable procurement of services and goods part of your purchasing conditions.
Bring equipment that can still be repaired to a Repair Café. These are free accessible meetings focused on (collaborative) repairs. This originally Dutch initiative has grown into a successful international phenomenon that contributes to sustainability by giving (electronic) equipment a longer life.
Learn more about how to make your cultural organization sustainable. This can be done in 10 steps. Read more about it in the article 'Green IT: 10 actions for cultural organizations (opens in new tab)'.
Sustainability and digital transformation go hand in hand. Together, they are also called the 'twin transition (opens in new tab)'. Therefore, include sustainability from the start in digital projects and make it a fixed part of the IT chain: from procurement and use to maintenance, reuse, and disposal.
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