Technology providers talked about carbon neutrality, a circular economy and the need to be more environmentally friendly in commemorating Earth Day, April 22 for 2024.
Maya Yarowsky, ESG Manager, Check Point Software Technologies, noted that cybersecurity has helped prevent potential environmental disasters. "The development of cybersecurity solutions, as demonstrated by Check Point's technologies, has been crucial in safeguarding critical infrastructure that prevent against potentially large-scale environmental catastrophes, while ensuring the sustainability of our digital and physical worlds," she said.
"It is a testament to the fact that in our interconnected world, securing our digital realm is inseparable from securing our Earth."
Yarowsky also shared that Check Point has set its sights on achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, and monitors carbon emissions while committing to improving the environmental performance future generations of products as a result.
Check Point also embraces the need for more environmentally-friendly products, Yarowsky said. The company's Check Point Quantum Force family of firewalls consumes less power per gigabyte per second of throughput than anything similar on the market.
"At Check Point, we will continue to work diligently to shape a future where technology and sustainability go hand in hand, with the hope that we can play our part in shaping a secure and sustainable world for generations to come," she concluded.
Nathan Hall, VP of Asia Pacific & Japan at Pure Storage, called Planet vs Plastics, the theme for this year's Earth Day, "a timely reminder for all of us of the importance of recycling". Hall noted that electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing waste-stream globally.
"Addressing e-waste entails collaboration among manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers. Responsible purchasing practices such as prioritising durable and upgradable products can reduce the need for frequent replacements. IT equipment designed with longevity in mind incorporates high-quality materials, modular designs, and repairability – all of which contribute to extended lifespans. Consolidating storage also eliminates storage fragmentation across devices or systems, resulting in more efficient resource utilisation and reduced wastage," he said.
Hall said that recycling IT equipment is a promising solution to the e-waste problem. "By recycling, we can recover valuable materials like metals, plastics, and rare earth elements, reducing the need for resource extraction and the associated environmental impact. Furthermore, responsible recycling ensures that hazardous materials are disposed of safely, mitigating harm to the environment and human health," he said.
"Pure Storage has always focused on doing what’s right. In an era where technological innovations drive rapid obsolescence and contribute to the growing problem of e-waste, Pure Storage has emerged as a trailblazer in the fight against this environmental challenge.
"Our Evergreen programme has been a paradigm shift in the world of IT infrastructure. Thanks to this programme, our customers are able to continuously upgrade their technology while minimising e-waste. Approximately 97% of Pure arrays deployed six years ago are still in service today. The industry average lifecycle for competing storage equipment is just three to five years."
Like Check Point, Pure Storage considers sustainability in product design. "Many of our components are used across our entire product line which simplifies the manufacturing process. Our product manual fits onto one business card vs the hundreds to thousands of pages common in vendor documentation," Hall said.
"We also rightsize the equipment necessary to meet each particular service level agreement. This extends the effective service lifetimes of a physical piece of equipment and significantly reduces e-waste. This results in a working lifespan of our products that is typically two to three times that of competing storage."
Hall also pointed out that Pure Storage arrays reduce rack space by as much as 97%. This not only reduces energy and power cooling requirements, but also means much fewer racks and less e-waste, he said.
"Recycling IT equipment in a circular economy not only conserves valuable resources but also offers significant economic opportunities because it generates jobs in collection, refurbishment, recycling, and innovation. It can also present internal growth and promotional opportunities through companies’ ESG programmes. Embracing the principles of the circular economy holds the key to addressing the challenges posed by e-waste while unlocking economic and environmental opportunities," Hall elaborated.
"As technology continues to advance, it’s imperative to prioritise responsible e-waste management, design for longevity and minimal initial footprint, and promote a circular economy mindset."
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| Sustainability artwork generated by Blue Willow. |
Forrester Senior Analyst Abhijit Sunil also touched on e-waste in a blog post. “Plastics play a crucial role in modern society, appearing in everything from toys to cars, medical equipment, spacecrafts, and computers. They are the technological equivalent of steel and concrete, with sustainability implications that far surpass their usage," he said.
“In 2022, a staggering 62 million tons of e-waste were generated, with an 82% increase from 2010. Twenty-seven percent (17 million tons) were plastics. Unfortunately, only 22% of small IT and telecommunication equipment, which includes laptops, mobile phones, GPS devices, and routers, are recycled, and this will only get worse, since the recycling rate is projected to decline from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030."
Sunil noted that technology vendors are stepping up. He listed Cisco, which has stated that 27% of new products and packaging designs released in fiscal year 2023 will substantially incorporate circular design principles. He also highlighted Dell, which since 2014 has been able to take back 100 million pounds of plastic from used electronics to make new products. Recycled plastic can be found in 125 Dell products, he said.
“There is no doubt that effective solutions will require comprehensive changes across the IT lifecycle from multiple actors: adopting more sustainable production methods, advancing recycling technologies, implementing stricter regulations, and enhancing global cooperation on environmental policies,” he said.
Seagate Technology Holdings, the mass-capacity storage provider recently released its annual environment, social, and governance (ESG) report. The company has committed to powering its manufacturing and research and development (R&D) facilities with 100% renewable energy by 2030, and to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
“Seagate is leading the charge in sustainable innovation in data storage, driving a circular economy and addressing key environmental challenges of our time,” said Dave Mosley, CEO, Seagate.
“By collaborating with industry peers, customers, partners, and governments, we can collectively enable circularity and drive positive change.”
Some of Seagate's FY23 achievements include seeing over 50% of the company’s energy consumption
sourced from renewable energy, and extending the life of approximately 1.19 million hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) through its circularity programme. By Refurbishing and redeploying the drives, Seagate prevented more than 553 metric tons of e-waste from entering landfills.*
*Assuming each drive has an average weight of 465 g.
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