Another good way is to switch to renewable energy sources. Modern information-based technology runs on electricity based on non-renewable sources such as coal-fired plants. That creates the greenhouse gas emissions that produce global warming. Switching to renewable energy therefore makes an enormous difference.
One of the most obvious things resellers can do is look at whether their products they are selling have environmental elements that they can promote to their customers.
“Energy is a big item for IT equipment and software as well,’’ Worth says. “Software can be developed in an energy efficient way and it all goes into the process. They can select software and hardware based on energy efficiency and standards like Energy Star.
“Through the product and selection process, they show the environmental impact or benefit of that product. It’s just one more feather in their cap in showing they are an environmentally conscious organisation.”
One of the areas many resellers don’t look at is water use, particularly if they are selling the equipment to data centres. While many do not think water is a problem for technology, vast amounts of it are used to cool large data centres.
Fresh water is a valuable resource, and with climate change, it has become more valuable than oil in many countries.
Sustainability platforms can also help resellers develop closer relationships with their customers. “They can be looking at their customer care plan post-sales where you are at the same time stopping electronic waste,” she says.
This is critical because every year millions of computers and electronics end up in landfill sites which generate methane. In Australia in 2008 more than 16 million TVs and computers were dumped in landfill. The computers and electronics contain toxins and contaminants such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium and polyvinyl chlorides. These materials are known to have toxicological effects.
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