Sustainability risks connected to IT products highlighted in new video

Sustainability issues such as climate change, endangered species and hazardous emissions continue to make headlines and a growing number of people are aware of how their travel and lifestyles affect the environment. The impact from IT products is less well known — something that TCO Development wants to change with their campaign video: This is IT, highlighting the issues and demonstrating how a circular approach to IT products is key to a more sustainable world.

The global demand for IT products is increasing and the products often have a short lifespan. Recent UN and World Economic Forum studies have concluded that the current yearly global volume of electronic waste is around 50 million tons — equivalent in weight to all commercial aircraft ever built. Only 20 percent is recycled which also leads to a yearly loss of natural resources amounting to a value of 55 billion euros.

To reduce the effects on people and the environment, a new generation of TCO Certified, the leading, global sustainability certification for IT products, was recently launched. TCO Certified, generation 8 focuses on circularity and requires that products are durable, repairable and upgradeable, so that they can live longer and be reused. Materials must be recyclable and possible to use in the manufacturing of new products instead of being incinerated, placed in landfill sites or exported to developing countries where it is handled in unsafe ways, damaging human health and ecosystems.

“The new generation of TCO Certified is our largest step yet toward circular and sustainable IT products”, says Clare Hobby, Director of Purchaser Engagement, Global at TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified.

Achieving greater sustainability requires a collective effort from IT buyers as well as industry. That’s why TCO Development today launched the campaign This is IT. The two minute video draws attention to the critical environmental and social issues and urges all stakeholders to do their part in driving positive change.

“Through This is IT, we want to help people better understand the problem of today’s linear “take, make, dispose” thinking around IT products and its effects like e-waste, pollution and climate change. Most importantly, we want to inspire action and talk about how we all need to contribute to solving these problems”, concludes Hobby.

Watch, like and share This is IT.