ICT

• Share ICT devices such as monitors with colleagues. In many organisations, staff levels are never 100%. So you don't have to provide a screen for everyone.
• Limit the number of multifunctionals/printers. Often, the policy regarding an employee's distance from a printer has not yet been adapted to the new world of work. There is much less printing these days, so fewer devices are needed.  
• Remember that renting or leasing is not necessarily circular, especially if short use periods apply as standard. The key is to ensure transparency and close the chain for reuse or longer life.
• Encourage reuse within the organisation. For example, by using older equipment for applications with lower functional requirements. New employees can take over devices from colleagues who are leaving.
• Give preference to devices with less material and unnecessary accessories.
• Consider the reuse of devices outside the organisation through donation or selling second-hand. Just make sure data is securely deleted. When donating internationally, you should also consider the CO₂ emissions from transport, and ask for guarantees to prevent e-waste dumping.

• Purchase second-hand or refurbished ICT equipment, if possible. This is comparable in quality to new equipment, and comes with guarantees. A smart move to reduce the demand for new raw materials. The framework contract for refurbished laptops in Ireland can provide inspiration in this regard.
• Include energy consumption as a criterion in your specifications, such as through life-cycle costs (LCC). Energy consumption is a major cost in ICT and has a significant impact on CO₂ emissions. The European LCC tool explains everything you need to know.
• Pay attention to packaging and transporting equipment. Consider deliveries in laptop bags or reusable boxes. Set requirements for the car fleet for delivery and repairs. Give preference to on-site repairs. The 'generic criterion for packaging' may apply.

Use more secondary/recycled and/or bio-based materials to reduce dependence on primary resources and scarce materials.

• Request that warranties be extended. Set a longer warranty period or ask in your specifications about the additional cost for an extra year's warranty.
• Make contractual arrangements for maintenance and repair once the warranty expires. Include this in your agreement with the supplier, or enter into a separate contract with a reliable third-party repair service. Another option: an in-house maintenance service. This can be partly covered by a technical school with training focused on hardware maintenance.
• Choose products that you can upgrade, for example, simple possibilities to expand the memory in the equipment.
• Design for longevity. Be mindful of the battery life and include criteria for resistance to shock, vibration, dropping and temperature changes. Use additional protection against damage (cases, carrying bags, etc.).
• Keep in mind the possibilities for repair and maintenance. Tip: iFixit calculates to what extent devices can be repaired, based in part on whether batteries can be replaced with standard tools. If necessary, include in your specifications that batteries must be replaceable and that suppliers must make spare parts available for x-number of years.
• Calculate the useful life based on the functional needs of the user rather than using general standard periods.

• Design for disassembly and modular design. Products that are easy to disassemble are more likely to be reused after refurbishment, or there is more chance of a high-quality second life for the parts.
  • Upgrade: you can replace or upgrade parts of a device to improve performance (for example, RAM memory of a laptop to increase speed).
  • Repair: you can repair a device if it is defective (for example, replace the broken battery of a smartphone).
  • Maintain: you can effectively maintain a device to ensure optimal performance (for example, clean vents to avoid overheating).
• Make contractual agreements with suppliers regarding take-back and reuse at end-of-life, possibly stipulating residual value. Ask for guarantees of reuse. In this way, you encourage the supplier to create a closed loop and extract value from returned equipment.
• Set up circular business models:
  • Enter into an agreement with a refurbisher to sell refurbished appliances back to your organisation or other buyers, or to reuse usable parts.
  • Work with reuse centres and recycling centres to resell appliances that are still usable. If they are no longer usable, a licensed collector can dispose of them responsibly.
  • Ask for transparency regarding what happens to the equipment (is the loop closed?) and assure that data is securely disposed of to ensure privacy.

• Design for recycling. It must be easy to separate materials, and easy to recover critical raw materials. That makes recycling easier, with less loss of valuable materials.
• Make sure there is insight into materials. Stipulate in your criteria that plastic parts must be marked with the type of plastic according to the relevant ISO standards. This makes the separation and recycling of various plastic materials easier.
• Make contractual arrangements for take-back and recycling. Include in your specifications that the supplier is responsible for taking back and recycling equipment if it cannot be reused. Demand transparency regarding processing and any residual value of materials.
• Limit toxic substances that are harmful during production and/or use. Transparency regarding chemicals and compliance with REACH are important. Refer to EU GPP criteria and the TCO Certified list of permitted chemicals to avoid risky substitutions.
• Set up circular business models. Work with IHM-approved collectors and ensure that equipment is disposed of to approved processors. Demand transparency about closing the material loop and ensure that data is securely disposed of.