Sustainability meets technology

Written by Rosie Parsons, who joined our Marketing Team for a week of work experience.

Sustainable technology is a term that describes innovation that considers natural resources and fosters economic and social development. In recent years, there has been a huge drive in sustainable technology innovations in the face of rising global temperatures. The aim of these technologies is to significantly reduce the environmental and ecological risks created by global warming. Due to climate change, we deal with environmental risks on a daily basis such as pollution, poor air and water quality, and e-waste.

What is e-waste?

E-waste (electronic waste) is a term for when electronic devices are no longer in use. This could be for all sorts of reasons, such as devices being replaced by the latest and better version. Any part of the device that is no longer in use is considered e-waste. However, some devices contain gold and silver which are valuable resources that should not be lost when being disposed.

In addition, there are also harmful chemicals within electronic devices that need to be disposed of properly to avoid damage to the environment and wildlife. A range of issues arise when e-waste isn’t recycled and is instead sent to landfill. Valuable and potentially hazardous materials are put back into the earth, resulting in extreme impacts on the land, air and water.

Preventing e-waste is extremely important. Some technology companies, such as Dell Technologies have started a recycling scheme where people send back their used devices. The company then takes the devices apart to look at what can be repurposed and put into new technology and devices, and what needs to be recycled.

There is also a new system called ‘EcoATM' where you can discard your old phones at a kiosk after doing a factory reset to remove your personal data. The EcoATM kiosk will value your phone and give you a price, then when you place your phone in a ‘ATM’, money is transferred into your bank account. They even have an app for you to value their phones before they go to the EcoATM and help you locate your nearest kiosk.

Preventing e-waste through sustainable technologies

An even better option than recycling e-waste is to stop it in the first place. E-waste can be prevented through sustainable technology in three ways:

• Substitution
• Prevention
• Efficiency

Substitution is the term used for swapping from non-renewable resources to renewable resources of technology.

Prevention refers to the action we should take to make sure that technology or waste won’t cause contamination to the environment or cause a negative impact long term impact.

Efficiency is measured in the terms of how much energy the technology is using and the number of resources it requires. The more efficient, less waste.

A few examples of sustainable technology are LED lighting, electric public transport, and solar panels.

Sustainable technology at PDMS

Sustainability is very important to us at PDMS. By our very nature, we use and implement digital services which have a lower environmental impact. By helping clients to switch from manual, paper-based systems, which tend to have a higher carbon footprint and increased emissions, to digital services, PDMS reduces their environmental impact and helping towards the Net Zero cause.

We are also focused on sustainable initiatives internally. Like recycling schemes seen in other technology companies like Dell Technologies, PDMS recycle laptops used by staff. After three years, we replace our laptops and staff can choose to keep the laptop for personal use by donating to a charity of their own choice. This not only reduces the cost of tech for our employees but reduces e-waste and gives something back to the community through charitable donations.

PDMS also uses renewable technology through our solar panels which have been installed on the roof of our Isle of Man office, with plans to introduce them to the Glasgow office in the near future.  

Being sustainable just makes sense. It is more beneficial for business as it increases overall productivity and reduces costs and waste. While helping the planet, it also improves brand image and attracts more employees and possible investors, as being sustainable is a very important characteristic that people look for nowadays.

So, what are you waiting for? Try sustainable technologies today and take your first step in making the world a better place.

To find out more about PDMS’s sustainability activities, visit our Social Responsibility page