View of warehousing stock of computer parts

One of the most well-known benefits of purchasing refurbished desktops, laptops or tablets is the dramatically lower price you receive versus buying new. However, one of the main benefits that you may not know is how much more environmentally friendly it is. Think of refurbished tech as green computing.

When purchasing refurbished technology, you are doing a lot to help the environment by reusing core minerals and parts that have already been made. Take a look at the top ways that green computing or refurbished technology is protecting the environment and can reduce your own carbon footprint.

Why refurbished tech is environmentally friendly

For every new computer made, core minerals need to be mined in order to construct the machine’s components. These minerals are already in short supply with some, such as cobalt, which is used for lithium batteries, only having an estimated 40 year supply left.

Refurbished computers and laptops don’t need these new parts as they are being reused and therefore do not require any more core minerals. This reduces the pressure on the supply and ensures the longevity of all of the parts that have already been constructed.

You are creating less waste

Typically, tech tends to have a 36-months lifespan, with users upgrading to the latest models after this period of time. This leads to perfectly functional and working computers being thrown in landfills, which is extremely bad for the environment.

Some of the components that are used in the making of computers can be toxic to the environment, polluting soil and water, so when it’s thrown in a landfill, it can be detrimental.

When computers are refurbished by a reputable company, they are completely updated, checked and upgraded in order to extend their life. This makes them work almost as good as new, meaning you can get a good few extra years life out of them.

At Renewed, we are proud to offer a 12-month warranty on all of our products, giving you peace of mind on the longevity of your new purchase.

It reduces your carbon footprint

The mining of the core minerals themselves for new computers and technology uses a lot of energy which is harmful to the environment. As they are being constantly mined to keep up with demand, this puts a lot of harmful substances into the air.

Components for new computers are made by different manufactures all over the world. This means that they need to be transported across the world to reach the final assembly manufacturer.

The shipping and aviation industries pump a lot of unwanted gases and substances into the atmosphere and seas. With so many parts being transported regularly, there is a huge negative impact on the environment.

As refurbished computers reuse and recycle old parts that have already been manufactured and transported, the negative impact is significantly reduced! This makes refurbished IT extremely green and an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and fulfil your environmental policy.

Fewer fumes are pumped into the air

The manufacturing process of computers and other tech produces a lot of by-products in the way of air and water pollution. As there is a huge demand for new tech, there is a constant manufacturing process that causes negative effects on the environment.

There is no manufacturing process when it comes to refurbished computers; recycled parts are manually installed into recycled computers, making the process as carbon-efficient and green as can be.

Refurbished vs. remanufactured computers

It’s also worth noting that there is a slight difference between remanufactured computers and refurbished, and whilst remanufactured is better than purchasing new, there is still a manufacturing process that happens. This means that there is some sort of pollution that goes out into the environment, though this is far less than the manufacturing process of new.

The work required to remanufacture a computer also increases the cost, on average this is around 10% more than a refurbished computer.

Green computing – choose refurbished

With everyone becoming more and more conscious about our impact on the planet, making small changes, such as purchasing refurbished, can be a great way to reduce your individual carbon footprint.

At Renewed, we are proud to have over 20 years of experience in refurbished computers, laptops and tablets, as well as spare parts and accessories, sold to the highest of industry standards.

If you would like to find out more about the benefits of refurbished tech or how we refurbished our computers, get in touch with our team on +44 (0) 1428 707900.

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