Sustainable IT product purchasing: Guide helps organisations succeed

Due to the growing worldwide consumption of IT products, and their negative effects, there is an urgency for responsible, sustainable purchasing practices. When organisations demand that IT products are TCO Certified for sustainability, this creates incentives for the IT industry to work in a more sustainable direction. Proven results include more environmentally and socially responsible practices from IT brands related to the products and their manufacturing.

“A Guide to Sustainable IT Purchasing with TCO Certified” provides practical advice to organisations on how to implement more sustainable purchasing practices connected to IT products such as; computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, headsets and displays. Sören Enholm, CEO at TCO Development, hopes the guide encourages more organisations to ensure the IT products they buy are sustainable: “It’s hard to drive this kind of change by yourself. Therefore, our goal is that this guide can help more organisations take action in sustainable purchasing of IT products.”

The Guide gives an overview of TCO Certified sustainability criteria as well advice on what to consider before, during and after each procurement. By using TCO Certified, purchasing organisations stand behind this global system of criteria and verification, sending a clear message to industry and driving greater impact.

“Our follow-up shows that social nonconformities in manufacturing have been reduced as a direct result of TCO Certified criteria for IT products. 16 brands had together almost 60 nonconformities in the factories reviewed in 2013. In 2016, only 16 nonconformities were reported at those same facilities *. These improvements are the result and our motivation to continue to drive the development of a more sustainable life cycle for IT products”, continues Enholm.

The independent verification included in TCO Certified means that organisations do not need to allocate their own resources to factory audits, product testing and documentation review to verify and monitor compliance. Together, we create incentives for the IT industry to work in a more sustainable direction.

* “Impacts and Insights”, February 2017.