How long will it be before pre-used laptops make a real dent in the enterprise space?
Not too long, according to leaders who attended the recent Sustainability Summit of Circular Computing, which bills itself as a global leader in the remanufacturing of laptops.
Some 40% of those surveyed at the event predicted that one in every five laptops purchased by enterprises will be pre-used by 2028.
And 86% of the 111 leaders quizzed felt that milestone would be reached by 2032.
They worked for industry firms including Softcat, Computacenter, Bechtle, Ingram and TD Synnex.
Is circular the shape of things to come?
Held at Circular Computing’s remanufacturing facility in the UAE – which it claims delivers up to 20,000 remanufactured and refurbished laptops every month – the event was designed to showcase the circular economy.
Circular Computing claims its remanufacturing process ensures pre-used laptops are brought to a condition certified to be ‘equal to or better than new,’ while reducing CO2 emissions by 6.34% compared to new laptops.
New regulations in mainland Europe compelling public sector organisations to buy refurbished, reused or recycled kit are “creeping into the UK”, a TD Synnex exec observed recently.
Some of the world’s largest channel partners, including most recently Computacenter, have launched 1:1 device recovery goals, meanwhile.
Those predicting a slower adoption rate of pre-used laptops in Circular Computing’s survey highlighted one significant hurdle in the shape of the OEMs. Some 85% of those questioned believed that OEMs will be the main barrier to speed of adoption.
“Our recent summit was as much a rallying cry as it was an eye opener for those in the driving seat in our industry, who I hope now are starting to see remanufacturing as the new new – and a way to achieve circularity in the IT sector,” Rod Neale, Founder and CEO of Circular Computing said.
“Overall, the consensus is clear: pre-used tech will be the future for enterprises. The question is how quickly are we going to get there, and who gets the glory when we do?”
