Almost one in four companies gives away discarded IT to employees
43 per cent donate old computers, printers and smartphones to charitable organisations
Old devices hardly ever end up in conventional commercial waste
Companies in Germany are very willing to give discarded and still functional electrical and IT equipment a second life - and make others happy in the process. Almost one in four companies (23 per cent) give away discarded monitors, printers, webcams and the like to employees. 13 per cent do not give devices away for free, but at a reduced price. Almost half (43 per cent) donate old devices to charitable organisations, such as initiatives or associations for schools, youth projects or people in need. This is the result of a representative survey of more than 500 companies in Germany with 20 or more employees, which was conducted on behalf of Bitkom.
According to the survey, companies combine various options for reuse, recycling and disposal. A majority of 69 per cent dispose of the devices properly, while 22 per cent store them so that they can be used again at a later date. Not all companies purchase their IT or parts thereof: 25 per cent lease devices and return them to the lender accordingly. 9 per cent sell devices to specialised service providers for refurbishment and 6 per cent refurbish old devices internally.
"The manufacture of electrical and IT devices requires a lot of raw materials, energy and resources. If they are used for longer, this has a positive effect on their ecological footprint," says Niklas Meyer-Breitkreutz, Head of Sustainability and Environment at Bitkom. "Devices that are still functional should therefore be passed on and reused, while defective devices should be disposed of properly and recycled." Almost all companies in Germany adhere to this rule: only 4 per cent dispose of discarded electrical or IT equipment with normal commercial waste.
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