DTP Zero: How We’re Supporting UK Universities to Reach Net-Zero and Eliminate E-Waste

E-Waste

The UK is one of the world’s largest contributors to e-waste. Research from the UN found that the UK generates the second highest amount of e-waste per capita at 23.9kg of e-waste, far exceeding the world average of 7.3kg per capita. Between 2008 and 2022, IT and telecoms e-waste almost doubled in the UK.

In 2020, a UK Government report on electronic waste highlighted some shocking statistics: if recycled, the unused laptops in the UK could create “159,000 bikes, 12,000 playground swings and 5 million defibrillators”. While unused wires could wrap around the earth 5 times.

The UN estimates that only 42% of e-waste in Europe is collected to be recycled, while an article from the Financial Times claims it is as low as 20% in the UK. And when e-waste is disposed of at recycling centres, it is often recycled through low quality methods such as shredding, leading to the loss of highly engineered components and valuable materials.

Our print and end-user compute partner, HP has also adopted the use of recycled materials in the manufacturing process for brand-new devices, printers and supplies. For example, the newest HP Dragonfly and Elite 1000 PCs contain 90% recycled magnesium in the enclosure case, ocean-bound plastic in the speaker enclosure, and bio-circular feedstock such as used cooking oil, to reduce CO2 emissions.

Many tech companies focus on a linear business model, reliant on continuous consumption, short-lived products and a throw-away culture. Our partners HP and HPE promote a truly circular model, repurposing end-of-life IT assets to eliminate e-waste and incorporating the use of recycled materials such as ocean bound plastics in the manufacturing stage of new products. These efforts reduce the demand on natural resources, and the knock-on emissions generated through mining, manufacturing and supply chain.

Reducing Device Emissions

The UK Government estimates that end-user devices consume more energy than networks and data centres combined. This means end-user devices such as laptops, tablets and desktop computers present a valuable opportunity to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Energy Efficiency

Currently, most UK universities still rely on traditional fossil fuel energy supplies, making it essential to reduce energy consumption. As DTP partners with HP, we guarantee our customers are able to access some of the most energy efficient devices on the market. HP has over 790 ENERGY STAR certified devices and printing products – more than any other manufacturer. ENERGY STAR products guarantee minimal energy waste and lower energy costs over the life of a device.

Reducing Print Emissions

Contributing to a significant share of carbon emissions, creating demand on scarce resources, and generating substantial waste, printing is another key area that organisations should focus on in efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

HP print solutions are independently recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly on the market. By opting for HP managed print services, universities are empowered to reach their targets, reducing print GHG emissions by up to 12% and increasing resource efficiency by up to 12%.

Green Data Practices

It’s no secret that networks and data centres are a large drain on electricity. Universities aiming to reduce their direct emissions should focus on keeping their infrastructure up to date, adopting green data practices and gaining 100% control and visibility over all their assets.

Supply Chain

88% of UK university emissions are a result of scope 3, “indirect emissions from value chain”. Of this share, supply chain accounts for around 36%. On average, emissions from supply chain are 11 times greater than the emissions from an institution’s own operations. Opting for sustainably motivated suppliers and manufacturers is vital to reduce this huge share of footprint.

Our partners

With sustainability first becoming a corporate objective for HP in 1957, it is no surprise that they are one of the most sustainable manufacturers in the IT industry. In 2022, HP reported a 18% decrease in their footprint over three years, in line with their target reach net zero across their entire value chain by 2040. This decrease included a 7% reduction in manufacturing and a 31% decrease in product energy use.

In terms of circularity, HP have recycled more than 879,100 tonnes of hardware and supplies since 2016. The manufacturer has also diverted 18.7 million plastic bottles worth of ocean bound plastics through use in 277 personal systems products since 2019. In 2022, HP used 32,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled plastic in HP products and achieved 86.7% landfill diversion rate globally.

There are too many impressive initiatives and statistics to mention in one article, so we recommend that you look at HP’s in-depth sustainable impact report for 2022.

Ready to reduce your university’s environmental impact?

As one of the leading technology suppliers to UK education, we’ve been chosen by some of the largest Russel Group Universities and research institutions to deliver sustainable IT solutions.

Opting to procure your technology through us and our carefully selected partners guarantees a transparent and sustainable supply chain, allowing institutions to reduce their indirect value chain emissions.

We also empower our customers to reduce their direct impact through our DTP Zero Print and Compute offsetting schemes, energy efficient product ranges, and powerful asset monitoring tools.

Finally, our partnership with HPEFS allows us to promote a truly circular economy and the reduce the scale of the e-waste problem in the United Kingdom.