A key metric for data centres is Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), which measures how efficiently data centres use energy. Most older data centres have a PUE of around 1.56. This means, on average, about 56% of the energy consumed isn’t directly used for computing but instead powers cooling and other infrastructure. Newer, advanced designs with a PUE of 1.3 or better can significantly reduce waste. This means that more energy expenditure directly contributes to core IT functions, slashing your electricity bills substantially.

IT remarketing extends the useful lifespan of your equipment, cutting down on e-waste and the need for new production, both of which benefit the environment. Moreover, repurposing older devices can help your organisation recoup valuable funds through resale, turning what was once a cost into a potential revenue source.

Sustainability is now a key criteria in many procurement processes and tenders. Organisations increasingly evaluate potential suppliers based on their green credentials, environmental impact, and social responsibility. By demonstrating robust and credible IT sustainability practices, you can position your company as an attractive, forward-thinking partner, often tipping decisions in your favour.

Transitioning to sustainable IT does come with its challenges. Older, legacy equipment often isn’t as energy-efficient, and replacing or upgrading it involves upfront investment. Data inconsistency and gaps in reporting can also complicate efforts to accurately assess your true environmental impact. Additionally, many businesses lack specialised sustainability expertise, requiring external advice or internal training. This can be circumvented in the following ways; offsetting the cost of upgrades with future savings due to energy efficiency, conducting internal training, and utilising the experience and expertise of organisations like Restore Technology to smooth the transition.

Begin by accurately measuring your current energy usage, e-waste production volumes, and supplier sustainability impacts. You can use these metrics to start properly auditing the environmental footprint of your entire IT infrastructure, setting a solid foundation for informed, targeted improvements.

Quickly realise visible improvements by activating built-in power-saving features on all equipment, systematically removing redundant servers, and initiating pilot programmes for remarketing or refurbishing older assets. These immediate actions deliver quick results and build momentum within your organisation.

Deepen your sustainability efforts by implementing advanced cooling retrofits in your data centres, shifting to renewable energy tariffs, and integrating robust sustainability clauses into all future vendor contracts. These strategic steps ensure sustained long-term impacts, embedding sustainability into your core operational processes.

Embrace cutting-edge technologies like AI-driven workload balancing, which optimally distributes computing tasks to maximise efficiency, and circular-design hardware initiatives to promote product longevity and easy recyclability.