The Sustainable Path: How to Future-Proof Your Business Laptops

Year after year businesses are increasingly recognising the significance of adopting a more sustainable approach. While efforts to reduce paper usage and adopt energy-efficient systems have been at the forefront, there’s an often overlooked avenue where IT departments can significantly contribute to the Green Credentials of a company - through the careful selection and management of their IT estate.

A Greener Approach to Corporate IT

A sustainable future requires a comprehensive strategy. This strategy isn't just about reducing a company’s carbon footprint; it's about minimising on a global scale the electronic waste and the environmental impact of manufacturing new devices. That’s where the concept of future-proofing business laptops comes into play.

Extending Lifecycles: A Key to Sustainability

The typical lifecycle of corporate devices is around three years. This timeframe aligns with manufacturers' warranties, which commonly cover the initial three years of a device's life. After this period of time, devices can look worn and tatty and the battery capacity will have dramatically reduced from when new. Also, internally the device may be dirty and dusty, which reduces performance, and the storage device will also have three years wear.

By choosing laptops with upgradeable components, businesses can help significantly extend the useful life of these devices to serve another user instead of ending up in landfill. The result of this approach is a reduction in electronic waste and a decrease in the demand for new devices, ultimately leading to lower CO2 emissions from manufacturing processes.

The Recipe for Future-Proofing Devices

The path to future-proofing business laptops lies in the specifications. When businesses decide to refresh their IT equipment, certain key features can make a device more suitable to a longer lifecycle:

1. Processor i5 or Beyond: Ensuring the processing power can meet evolving demands.
2. Memory Upgradeability: Opting for memory that isn't soldered into the motherboard, or at least starting with a substantial 16GB RAM.
3. Upgradable Battery: Allowing for the replacement of the battery, extending the device's mobility and overall lifespan.
4. Replaceable SSD: Enabling the replacement of the Solid State Drive, a critical component for storage and speed.
5. Optimal Screen Size (14-16"): Balancing portability and usability for a diverse range of users.

InnoVent's Vision: A Second and Third Life for Devices

At InnoVent, we believe that with proper care and attention, corporate devices can have a second life within the corporate world and a third life in the hands of end-users. By creating a community of businesses, charities, and end-users, InnoVent extends the useful life of laptops from the standard 3-4 years to an impressive 7+ years.

Here's how the journey unfolds:

1. Brand new Equipment | Initial Corporate Use
   he journey begins when a business decides to refresh their IT estate with brand new Tier 1 Equipment, carefully chosen with future-proofing in mind. Enjoying the initial 3 years of cutting-edge technology, businesses benefit not only from the latest innovations but also from financial advantages and residual value investment provided by InnoVent.
2. Revitalization Time | InnoVent
   After the initial 3 years, InnoVent steps in. We retrieve the equipment while the business gears up for the latest technology, giving the devices a comprehensive refurbishment. This process involves battery and SSD replacement, along with other component upgrades and aesthetic enhancements like revinyling and keyboard reprints, restoring them to a condition virtually as good as new.
3. Refurbished Equipment | Secondary Corporate Use
   These refreshed devices find a second home within another business or charity, delivering top-notch technology at a more affordable price point. Explore our 2nd Life IT range of laptops and desktops, offering savings of up to 50% compared to the cost of new devices.
4. End-User Phase:
   As the second user eventually transitions to newer technology, InnoVent performs a light refurbishment, offering the laptops through e-commerce channels to end-users who can make use of the devices for at least 1+ years.
5. Sustainable Disposal:
   When end-users are ready to part ways with their laptops, InnoVent takes the lead in environmentally responsible disposal. Components are harvested for spare parts, and materials are recycled through partnerships with reputable UK-based organisations.

Sustainability as a Strategy

Future-proofing business laptops isn't just a smart IT strategy; it's a commitment to sustainability. By choosing devices with longevity in mind, businesses can play a pivotal role in reducing electronic waste and the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing. InnoVent's approach exemplifies how a circular economy mindset can turn end-of-life devices into valuable resources, ensuring that every stage of a laptop's journey contributes to a greener, more sustainable future.