As the technology industry evolves rapidly, the demand for new products continues to grow. The announcement by Microsoft that they will no longer support Windows 10 from October 2025 has left customers and businesses aware that they may need to upgrade their business laptops within the next year, even if their current model is still up and running.
The move was discussed recently at the Re: Sustainable IT Summit in the United Arab Emirates. A spokesperson at the summit from Canalys, a global technology market analyst firm, predicted that 240 million business computers could become e-waste because of these changes. With 85% of carbon emitted from a laptop coming at the production end, this is a concerning figure.
Against this backdrop the stage is set for the increased adoption of remanufactured technology, preventing waste, reducing carbon emissions and keeping the cost of replacement devices down. Although still an emerging category, 40% of IT leaders at the summit believed that by 2028 pre-used laptops will make up one in five (20%) of those bought by businesses. Perhaps Microsoft’s decision could be the push needed to change our perceptions and move towards remanufactured.
CEO and Founder, Circular Computing.
Old for new
Our point of view is that you wouldn’t throw the keys to your car away and get a brand new one, after driving it for a few months, or when it needs a service. Instead, you would get the service required to extend the life of the car. This same logic can also be applied to IT technology. If we are serious about driving towards a circular economy then whether it’s a Porsche or a printer, we must preserve what’s already been made, be regenerative in resources and cut out waste..
The challenge is focusing on a single group that will drive the most impact to make the change and begin the movement. Remanufactured technology is tailor-made for organizations with clear sustainability goals who are looking for an alternative to brand new, which delivers value for money and – crucially – works at least as well as a brand-new device. This is why I believe the public sector is the perfect group to act as standard-bearers, due to its
