Sunderland-based tech companies Nice Network and Rebuyer have joined forces and embraced the circular economy in a bid to cut down on e-waste.
Over the past year, the two firms have helped some of the world’s biggest business names securely and sustainably dispose of their electrical devices and equipment, in the process refurbishing and reselling thousands of items that would have ended up as e-waste.
A recent United Nations report revealed that 50m tonnes of e-waste is being generated every year. That figure is expected to double to more than 110m tonnes in the next 30 years as technology continues to advance.
IT recycling firm Rebuyer started life four years ago, and is championing a circular economy for the disposal of electrical goods by working with companies such as unified communications specialist, Nice Network, to providea viable solution to the growing amount of corporate electrical and electronic waste.
Simon Howatson, chief executive and co-founder of Rebuyer, said: “You’d be hard-pressed to find any department of an organisation that doesn’t utilise some sort of smart technology. This means systems and devices are becoming extremely app heavy, resulting in shorter life-spans and much faster disposal times.
“That’s what inspired us to launch Rebuyer. We have a team of experts – working to the strictest Government standards - who can securely sanitise devices, meaning we can provide organisations with a way to sustainably dispose of their end of life equipment and devices, while generating a completely new revenue stream in the process.
“By reselling the devices, we also help reduce the number of off-the-shelf devices being sold, which is another huge contributor to the e-waste crisis. The release of toxins from mining the minerals required to manufacture electronic goods can be extremely hazardous and has such a detrimental impact on the environment.”
Nice Network provides total communications solutions to global brands such as Nike, Puma, Husqvarna and Drager, and has worked hand-in-hand with Rebuyer on a number of joint projects over the past year.
It hit the headlines when it produced the first-ever whitepaper on ethical selling for the telecoms industry.
Andrew Bentley, telecom operations manager at Nice Network, said: “We have worked incredibly hard on increasing our own CSR activity over the past few years and reducing our carbon footprint has been central to this. When we met with Simon and the team at Rebuyer, we couldn’t wait to get involved with the project.
“Not only have they created a business model that drives profits - but it also drives positive change for the environment. It’s a perfect example of the benefits that can be reaped by companies being responsible and embracing the circular economy.”
