Episode 31: Circular Computing - Because IT shouldn’t cost the earth - with Head of Sustainability, Steve Haskew

“Our demand for new IT is not driven by a real need. The result is excessive pollution and e-waste…” In this episode, we speak to Steve Haskew, Head of Sustainability and Client Engagement at Circular Computing. Circular Computing has been operating for over 30 years, providing circular IT solutions to organisations with significant hardware and ewaste concerns. Steve walks us through circularity in action – take a once used product, put it through a re-manufacturing process to produce the product back to an as-new state for reuse. Delivering without compromise, a laptop computer that looks and works like new. We discuss the challenges aligned with transitioning from a linear to circular economy, and our very linear ‘laptop’ buying behaviours and expectations. Steve shares many staggering statistics - such as ‘for every laptop made it is incredibly water intensive 190,000 litres of water to make one laptop from extraction to sitting on your desk- and he makes a strong business case around the many benefits to organisations of going circular - showcasing the very real commercial benefits, but as importantly, or more so, the wider piece around global responsibility and significant CO2 savings, as we transition towards net zero targets. We talk about the enormous challenge of E-waste – and the annual global output of electrical waste being equivalent to 4500 Eiffel towers. The practicalities of how organisations collect and keep laptops out of the waste stream - and ponder the challenge and risk around data and the sanitisation process, potentially hampering end users recycling their devices and discuss what more can be done to develop solutions in this area. As ever, we dive into the role of marketing, and how marketing is central to the adoption of a speedier circular economy transition. How marketing is involved in building shared value, bringing customers along on the journey, educating, empowering - and the positive impact this has for successful and sustainable business. This is an informative and inspirational conversation. Steve is transparent, honest, open to conversation to support and help others and shares so much insight about the challenges they’ve faced over the years, treading in the sand where no-one had tread before. One things for sure… a decarbonised future state relies on a circular economy - and Circular Computing are doing great work in this important area. We loved this conversation and learned so much… Big thank you to Steve. Meanwhile, we urge you to tune in - it’s one not to miss… For more information about Circular Computing - their website provides a Resource Hub and loads of useful info. Steve also refers to the ‘pay it forward to support others’ platform KIVA https://www.kiva.org/ Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.