Electronics

Refurbished electronic equipment can save 99%

of emissions compared to buying new

The goods and services one domestic appliance manufacturer buys are its second largest source of emissions

Scope 3 Use of sold products Purchased goods and services Other Scope 1 and 2

The carbon footprints of companies producing electronics are often dominated by value chain emissions. Within these, the two largest sources are the in use phase of the products they sell and the goods and services the company purchases. Despite the potential for cutting carbon, the sector does not talk much about the benefits of circularity.

“Scope 3 isn’t normal parlance, but ocean plastics and packaging waste are”. Electronics industry expert

Circularity in electronics was primarily driven by concerns about waste and supply chain risks, according to insiders, with recent supply disruptions bringing this front and centre for many. Shortages of new items were leading clients to take the plunge into reused electronics, after which they found it hard to ignore substantial cost savings. If more businesses were made to consider emissions from laptops and office equipment, demand for low impact circular products would undoubtedly rise. Providers of circular electronics are starting to use carbon savings as a sales pitch, so are poised to provide the products, and data on embodied emissions, as demand rises.