The differentiation factor

They also contain precious non- renewable metals such as gold, silver and copper which could all be recycled or reused.

“With customers, you can develop relationships where you are not just selling products to them but they can continue the relationship and take back the product when it has reached the end of its life,” Worth says.

One company, Greenbox, has actually developed an award- winning business buying the returned equipment off resellers. It recycles the equipment, or crushes the components and then reuses them. Greenbox services include everything from de-installation to collection and sanitisation.

All up, Worth says resellers use internal initiatives and also adopt external measures for partners and customers.

This, she says, can become an important part of marketing the reseller and making the company stand out from its competitors.

“You can integrate that message in your corporate social responsibility initiatives,’’ she says. “Usually resellers have some sort of marketing team that puts together the message for the organisation.

“One of those messages can be that we are an environmentally sustainable company and that is a competitive differentiator,’’ Worth says.