Earth Day: The channel can make a difference

Earth Day is an occasion for people across the industry to ponder on the position the planet is in and contemplate decisions they might make to improve the situation.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to customers and is an area where the channel is expected to show it is taking action. Many have done so over the past 18 months, setting targets and goals to move towards a net-zero operation, but some will be wondering how they can show customers they care about sustainability.

David Nelson, sales director of trade-in services, EMEA, at Tech Data, said there are several steps the channel can take to make a positive impact. One area where the channel can make a difference is on the recycling front, ensuring that technology is disposed of properly and, where possible, re-used.

“Electronic waste continues to be a pressing challenge globally. Recent predictions show that there will be approximately 67 million tonnes of e-waste by 2030. Since 2014, the amount grew by 21% to reach 48.6 million tonnes in 2019,” he said.

“Globally, less than one-fifth [of electronic waste] is properly collected and recycled. Indeed, in more developed regions, such as in Europe, where more efficient processes are in place, e-waste is still shipped to other countries and dumped,” Nelson added.

“The technology channel has a crucial role when helping customers who want to invest in the planet but are unsure how to navigate the challenges. Channel partners must respond to customer needs, alongside providing value in terms of products and services, which provides an opportunity to add environmental services. These should be focused on furthering sustainability,” he said.

Nelson added that it made sense for the channel to help customers deal with end-of-life issues around technology. “Sustainability continues to be an ongoing priority for the channel – not only on Earth Day. Even though businesses have already taken strides to improve environmental sustainability, more can still be done,” he said.

Elsewhere, rugged computing player Getac has formed a partnership with One Tree Planted as part of its Earth Day 2022 sustainability initiative, and is calling on partners to get involved with its Our Solutions Your Success campaign to plant 30,000 trees.

“Getac is committed to being environmentally responsible on a global level. We implement process innovation, enhance energy use efficiency, and promote the universal use of eco-friendly materials by relying on R&D efforts in core technologies,” said Rick Hwang, president of Getac Technology Corporation.

“We are excited to collaborate with One Tree Planted to encourage our internal and external stakeholders to value environmental success. The partnership is in line with our actions on carbon emission reduction as we work to encourage our audiences to play an active role in protecting the Earth,” he added.

Ashley Lamontagne, forest campaign manager of One Tree Planted, said: “We are grateful for the support of businesses like Getac who are passionate about making a positive impact on the environment. The trees we’ll plant together will create lasting benefits for wildfire relief and climate stability.”