By Joyce Mullen / 21 Apr 2022 / Topics: Sustainability Featured
I strongly believe that technology is our greatest resource for doing good, magnifying noble causes with an incomparable ability to scale, automate, innovate and communicate.
Unfortunately, one of the dark sides of the fast-moving tech industry is the increasing volume of electronic waste, or e-waste. If you’re anything like my family, you probably have a drawer or a box somewhere in your house with a collection of retired cell phones, iPods and old PCs that we keep “in case someone in our family needs one.”
As a global population, we generated a record 57.4 million tons of e-waste in 2021 — more than the weight of the Great Wall of China, and up 37% from seven years ago.
But the real disappointment is that only 17.4% was recycled.
As a solutions integrator with strong supply chain expertise, we help clients manage e-waste. And we’re continuously seeking opportunities and partnerships with a community of providers who have really stepped up to bring technology and sustainability together.
I’m really proud of the work we’re doing with my former company, Dell Technologies.
Ten years ago, Dell set goals around sustainability and developed their “Progress Made Real 2030” plan, which includes this moonshot goal: “By 2030, for every product a customer buys, we will reuse or recycle an equivalent product. 100% of our packaging will be made from recycled or renewable material. More than half of our product content will be made from recycled or renewable material.”
In partnership with Dell Technologies, we work with suppliers to identify energy efficiency improvements and create water-risk mitigation plans. A circular design approach helps us return materials to their production cycles for use in new products.
To combat e-waste, we’ve created an asset disposition program that helps companies repurpose old equipment safely through data erasure and asset remarketing or disposal. This enables organizations to follow guidelines mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — and maximize the return on their IT investments.
In 2021, Insight resold or recycled 275,000 old hardware assets in the U.S. — preventing 2 million pounds of electronic waste.
If you or your company is looking for ways to responsibly donate or recycle outdated technology, our electronics recycling page provides details about donating to the National Cristina Foundation (NFC), as well as several options for recycling. And of course, you can always reach out to us directly.
Our ambitions to be a more sustainable company extend to even the construction and design of our new global headquarters in Chandler, Arizona. Dubbed “Insight Way” as a dedication to our Insight values of hunger, heart, and harmony, we anticipate our state-of-the-art, eco-friendly design will achieve LEED Gold certification.
The 48-acre site features a solar panel solution expected to provide 80% of the facility’s peak consumption usage. It will include an automated, smart HVAC system and energy-efficient, motion-sensor LED indoor and outdoor lighting to reduce our use of electricity and other resources. Sustainable materials have been used in the construction, meeting LEED requirements along with construction product waste removal.
Since 2018, we have relied on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact as the standard for how we conduct business. We remain committed to living up to the initiative and its principles of protecting human rights, fair labor, preserving the environment and anti-corruption.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Insight
Joyce Mullen assumed her role in January 2022 as president and CEO of Insight Enterprises, a $9.4 billion Fortune 500 organization. She leads Insight’s evolution as an industry-recognized solutions integrator that helps organizations accelerate their digital journey and maximize the business value of technology.
