How to successfully procure IT products for the circular economy

Circular IT management helps reduce climate impact, e-waste and resource consumption, whilst saving significant costs. TCO Development’s guide outlines five key steps to successful circular IT procurement, providing practical advice to purchasers and decision makers.

Engage in open dialogs, meetings, and requests for information (RFI) to gather information. Clearly communicate your organization’s sustainability and circularity ambitions and needs. Specify the sustainability data you require access to ensure transparency and accountability.

To enable circular IT management, products must be designed for longevity. Materials and components should be easily accessible and available.

Adopt a long-term perspective when purchasing IT products. Choose high-performance products with enough capacity to meet the organization’s needs for several years. Consider replacing traditional software with cloud-based solutions to reduce performance demands and extend product lifespan.

Maximizing product life is critical for a circular economy. When a product no longer meets the initial user’s needs, it should be redistributed or sold to a second user. Second-hand purchases offer both cost saving and a reduced sustainability impact.

Identifying the right KPIs helps your organization meet legal requirements on sustainability reporting, such as CSRD, and take steps toward meeting internal or external circularity goals. For IT, the negative sustainability impacts are embedded in the products you use. Indirect climate impact (scope 3 emissions) stems from the manufacturing phase. Extending product lifespan directly reduces annual Scope 3 emissions. In addition to product use, track emissions from cloud services and repair activities.

Download the full guide here.