Edition Three
New lifecycle management partnership: Ultima and n2s
An interview with Andy Gomarsall MBE, Executive Chairman, n2s
Andy, how will the partnership between n2s and Ultima support the ESG agenda that all businesses need to embrace?
E-waste is one of the earth’s fastest-growing environmental issues. According to the UN, up to 50 million tonnes of e-waste is produced each year globally and only 20% of this is ethically recycled.
The UK are the worst offenders of hoarding technology. All organisations are exposed to regulatory compliance, have concerns about securely disposing of data and worry where their equipment will end up.
Other common ESG concerns, and pain points include sustainability goals driven by shareholders, the desire to learn more about reducing and measuring their carbon footprint to achieve net-zero targets, and the need to measure and report their scope 3 contribution to the board.
Since Covid-19 and the shift in the ways we work, some clients now have the mandate and budget from the board to refresh their large legacy tech estates and need quick, easy, secure, and cost-effective technology replacement or disposal services.
This is where we can help! n2s has over 20 years’ experience managing complex and large-scale technology relocations, decommissions and disposal projects. We put sustainable practices at the forefront of our processes, by reusing, refurbishing, and remanufacturing wherever possible.
And when reuse is no longer viable, we extract as much value as possible, from every device, to contribute to the circular economy.
Above all else, a common need across all companies that we work with is the want for more information on how to securely dispose of IT equipment and data, in a sustainable way that supports their companies ESG vision. Ultima are supporting us in this journey.
What are the three things that every business customer should consider over the next 12 months?
As businesses navigate the transition toward circular economy and decarbonising technology, I see three important areas for the next year:
1. Sustainability strategy:
Businesses should develop or enhance their sustainability strategies, incorporating circular economy principles and decarbonisation goals.
2. Product lifecycle assessment:
Conducting comprehensive lifecycle assessments (LCA) is crucial. This helps businesses understand the environmental impact of their products or services throughout their entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. By identifying hotspots and opportunities for improvement, businesses can make informed decisions to reduce their carbon footprint and optimise resource use.
3. Collaboration and partnerships:
Collaborating with stakeholders across the value chain is essential for driving circular economy and decarbonisation efforts. Businesses should actively seek partnerships with suppliers, customers, industry peers and policymakers. Collaborative initiatives can enable knowledge sharing, innovation, and the development of collective solutions to common challenges. My view is that while we offer the technology and services to communicate, we need to collaborate more with our future decision makers and bring into the fold experts across other parts of the business, for instance sustainability.
By considering these three aspects, businesses can align their operations with sustainable practices, reduce their carbon emissions, and contribute to the circular economy transition. It is important to continuously assess and adapt strategies as the field of sustainable business evolves.
What are the sustainability issues that come with technology acceleration (e.g., AI)?
The increasing amount of data generated and processed worldwide will have certain impacts on our planet. Just think about the energy consumption that’s aligned to the increase in data centre demand, which leads to effects such as natural resource utilisation, water usage, e-waste and therefore increases our carbon emissions in this current linear economy.
Addressing these impacts requires a combination of sustainability strategies, such as improving energy efficiency in data centres, transitioning to renewable energy sources, implementing sustainable waste management practices, and promoting responsible and circular e-waste recycling.
Are there any industries that could see immediate returns from end-to-end recycling?
The recycling and circular economy has the potential to benefit various industries. We see it firstly in manufacturing, especially with metals. By designing products for durability and disassembly, manufacturers can reduce waste and lower production costs. This is especially true for the electronics and technology sector. After all, technology is part of our everyday lives, from our watches to our phones, to the services we rely on in the cloud. The electronics industry can adopt circular economy principles by designing products for repair, reuse and recycling.
Can you give us a success story between n2s and Ultima?
A great example of success with Ultima was winning and delivering a transformation service to Admiral insurance that was recognised and nominated in the CRN’s sustainable customer project of the year.
Our services included decommissioning and logistics from 21 sites, 16,853 assets, including 7,421 monitors, 7,050 desktops and 2,275 laptops – totalling 84 tonnes of equipment, the weight of 7 double decker buses!
96% of all the equipment was successfully re-used and we calculated this was the equivalent of taking 2,321 cars off the road, equalling 5,052 tonnes of CO2 avoided.
When standards are administered in the reporting of circular economy, this also had the benefit of avoiding 10,103,952 litres of water as this is what would have been used to manufacture new equipment for another client. This helps us support Ultima’s UN Sustainable development goals that elevate us as a supplier into clients for ESG and sustainability.
monitors
desktops
laptops
tonnes
of equipment re-used
tonnes of CO2 avoided
As an individual who is no stranger to working within a competitive environment, what do you believe makes n2s stand out from the crowd?
In an industry lacking innovative solutions, we believe our methods of precious and critical metal recovery are spearheading the future of metal recycling and re-manufacturing, which is helping kick-start the circular economy.
We have also helped developed bioleaching techniques that recover gold and precious metals from redundant technology parts, including circuit boards. Using low carbon bioleaching techniques, we continue to join up supply chains – we strive to contribute towards lowering the carbon footprint of products by reducing the demand for virgin materials.
A great example of this is our part in BT Groups manifesto and Innovation Martlesham’s circular economy. Last year we were able to take 248 tonnes of PCBs and 277 tonnes of cable and turn this into 255 tonnes of pure copper. This would take an estimated 35,000 tonnes of copper ore to yield the same amount via traditional mining! And in 2022 alone our precious and critical metal recovery solutions avoided carbon emissions of c. 678.3 tonnes/CO2e.
Andy, please tell us a little bit about n2s and your vision…
Our vision is to re-define the technology lifecycle to create a holistic ecosystem required to sustain the circular economy. Our game-changing approach makes n2s the only one-stop partner for organisations wanting to securely, compliantly, and sustainably prove their contribution to circularity.
Our mission is to become the most trusted partner for Information Technology Asset Disposal (ITAD) and recycling. We collaborate with large organisations to ensure sustainability, security, and compliance at every stage of the circular technology lifecycle. Our robust and auditable approach to technology lifecycle management guarantees information security, maximises material recovery, and mitigates risk.
We empower our customers to deliver metrics that support net-zero targets to regulators, key corporate stakeholders, and their clients. This is needed so they can fully defend their information security compliance and evidence their claims around e-waste, carbon footprint and contribution to the circular economy.