The application period for the new TCO Certified, generation 9 is already underway. During the event, the first certified products will be publicly announced.

With TCO Certified, generation 9, we take the next step in socially responsible manufacturing by going further up the supply chain, extending our ground-breaking system for safer chemicals to include process chemicals, and we include more ambitious circular solutions.

This digital event will take place on December 1, 15:00-16:00 CET.

Celebrate the new generation with us!

“ #CircularElectronicsDay has now been running for a few years and has attracted a lot of attention, and we feel that more can be done. This is not an issue just one day of the year but something we should continue to talk about. That is why we have now formed this initiative”, explains Andreas Nobell, Development Manager at TCO Development, one of the founding organizations.

The current, linear way of producing and consuming products is ruining fragile ecosystems, causing the loss of valuable natural resources and critical raw materials. In a circular economy, resources are handled more responsibly. The goal of the Circular Electronics Initiative is to create awareness around the need for a longer life for electronic products and greater recirculation of all materials while minimising waste.

“The resources on our planet are finite, and we need to take responsibility. The initiative is all about helping buyers and consumers to do this – to take a more responsible approach to the electronics they use.No one can do everything. But everyone can do something. The Circular Electronics Initiative has gathered some concrete things you can do to contribute to the transition to make IT more circular and sustainable ”, continues Andreas Nobell.

“As almost 80 percent of carbon emissions of a laptop occur in the manufacturing phase, extending product life will clearly lead to lower average annual emissions. Adding two years to product life reduces emissions by as much as 30 percent. As you can see, circular approaches have a real impact on the environment”, Andreas Nobell highlights.

To help consumers and buyers, the organizations behind the initiative have developed the quiz “Quiz: what do you know about circularity and electronics?”

“The quiz is an easy way to get the conversation going about circular electronics. It creates awareness about the challenges we face concerning electronics production and consumption. Let’s all join the conversation!” concludes Andreas Nobell.

The linear way of producing and consuming products is ruining fragile ecosystems, causing the loss of valuable natural resources. We take virgin natural resources and make products from them which we then discard once we’re done using them — often after a relatively short time. Sometimes the short lifespan is due to planned obsolescence where products break easily and are difficult to repair and upgrade. In a circular economy, resources are handled in a more responsible way. The goal is to extend product lifetime and recirculate all materials without producing any waste. But what does this mean for IT products?

Watch this webinar to hear more from the experts on circular, more sustainable practices for IT products, and what you can do to contribute.

Remember – make sure to specify TCO Certified in your procurement specifications – this is the most important signal to industry to apply for TCO Certified. You are always welcome to contact us with your questions about sustainable IT or TCO Certified.

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“The millions of workers in the supply chain often face poverty wages, dangerous and unsafe working conditions, and stand without social protections. This has clearly been identified within electronics and IT”, says Parul Sharma, CEO of the Academy for Human Rights in Business, who has contributed to the report.

In a global study of online environmental claims, 40 % were found to be false or misleading. To avoid greenwash and false product claims, transparency and verification are key to validating your organization’s sustainable procurement efforts, and ultimately, your reputation.

“IT purchases are one of the largest categories of state, local government, and public institutional spending. Therefore, supply chain impacts can be significant and affect later stages of the life cycle. Improving sustainability practices along the supply chain reduces the potential for supply chain disruption and increases resiliency”, says Jonathan Rivin, Materials Evaluation Specialist, at Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, explains the importance of strategic IT procurement for the State of Oregon.

This year’s Impacts and Insights report takes a critical look at what purchasers need to do to avoid greenwash – and the tools available to reduce reliance on false claims. The report offers insights based on the experience with TCO Certified, along with expert voices from policy officials, NGOs, scientists, factory auditors, product testing, and procurement.

“It’s critical that organizations get independent proof of environmental and supply chain impacts connected to the products they source. Reputations, stakeholder credibility and accuracy are on the line more than ever ”, says Clare Hobby, Director Purchaser Engagement, Global at TCO Development.

“With our Impacts and Insights report we want to give purchasers the tools for avoiding the common risks of relying on greenwash and false product claims. Getting proof of what’s actually happening in the IT supply chain gives any organization the confidence to stand behind their sustainability efforts”, Clare Hobby concludes.

For purchasers, navigating product models, their functions and sustainability aspects can be tricky. Vendors often offer electronics catalogs, mainly with a focus on technical parameters. Increasingly, several such listings now also include information on whether these products are certified according to existing eco-labeling schemes or sustainability certifications.

As the leading sustainability certification for IT products, we have been approached by several platforms that want to make it easier to find more sustainable IT products that also meet their technical needs.

These include, but are not limited to:

• 1WorldSync aggregates information about IT products from multiple sources into consistent content. The platform has integrated TCO Certified within its DataSource service. Retailers which use DataSource can request data on the products in their store, including whether they are certified in accordance with TCO Certified.
• Ecomedes is another data aggregator with a platform in the US – Fulcrum. The platform provides a list of products that are approved for public procurement (under the US General Services Administration). Buyers can search by TCO Certified and get a list of available certified products.
• Markit has introduced so-called ‘eco-filters’. Using these, you can search not only for local suppliers (GHG emissions reduction) but also for products certified according to the criteria in TCO Certified.
• ATEA is another reseller that offers a sustainable purchasing guide that explains the benefits of using TCO Certified in procurement. Customers can select TCO Certified as a default option and search for certified models in the e-shop.

Informed product choices help IT purchasers to effectively meet their sustainability targets for both environmental and supply chain responsibility. Via our Product Finder, purchasers have access to measurable sustainability performance data for certified products: percentage of post-consumer recycled plastic content, energy consumption and product weight. Functionality also includes a feature for calculating use phase CO2 emissions and energy costs. This data can be used in your organization’s sustainability reporting.

With the subscription function in Product Finder, organizations can be at the frontline of sustainable procurement, staying up to date with the latest certified models.

In our report Impacts and Insights: Circular IT Management in Practice, we’ve done a deep-dive into circularity. What does this actually mean for IT products — and how can the circular economy be implemented on the ground when you procure and use IT products? What stands in the way for circularity and how can these obstacles be removed?

To answer these questions, we spoke to experts in the field (including our own), interviewed people on the frontline of circular procurement, and checked in with some IT brands to get a snapshot of how the transition is going.

I’m very happy to see the huge interest in the report and call for more circular IT practices. We’ve had over 600 attendees across our two webinars. The report has so far been downloaded more than 1 000 times. Interest has been spread across the globe, with downloads from several countries all over the world.

Through this report we have talked to thousands of purchasers about circular management of IT products. I hope that you will all join the procurers across the globe who, by choosing to ask for TCO Certified, help to put millions of more sustainable products to the end users!

This report explains how the linear production and consumption of IT products contribute to the climate crisis, the unsustainable depletion of natural resources and enormous amounts of toxic e-waste, but also how a circular approach can contribute to solving these sustainability issues. This is why we have asked everyone we’ve interviewed for practical tips. At the end of the report, all 33 hands-on tips are collected, to help you move forward.

With the circular criteria in TCO Certified we demand more durable products that can be repaired, upgraded and recycled. Now it’s up to you as a buyer and user to implement these practices that will reduce the environmental impact of your IT products.

One thing we’ve learned during our work with this report is that the most important thing is to actually get started. The transition to the circular economy is essential, and we all need to play an active part in making the switch. It doesn’t matter so much what the first step is as long as you take it.

I look forward to continuing the dialogue with purchasers across the globe to drive for more sustainable IT products. Are you interested in our next report talking about the critical role of independent verification and how to avoid greenwash by getting proof in IT procurement? Sign up to our newsletter to make sure you receive the latest news from us, including the next report!

On June 1 the finalized criteria documents of TCO Certified, generation 9 will be published, and from June 15 brand owners have the opportunity to apply for certification for their products. In December 2021, the official launch will take place, where the first products certified according to the new generation are publicly announced.

During the webinar, we will go through the timeline for the application process and look at all eight chapters in the finalized criteria documents. Our criteria development team will explain the new and updated criteria, to help you understand how the next generation compares to the current generation of TCO Certified.

This webinar is mainly aimed at those familiar with the criteria in TCO Certified and with an interest in the development of the criteria documents for different product categories.

To accommodate stakeholders located around the globe, the webinar will be held at two alternative times. Register for the time slot that you prefer.

In a circular economy, resources are handled responsibly. The goal is to extend product lifetime and recirculate all materials without producing any waste. What does this actually mean for IT products — and how can the circular economy be implemented on the ground, when you procure and use IT products? Here are 33 hands-on tips that will help you get started with circular IT management. 33 tips may seem like a lot — but keep in mind that sustainability takes time, and the main thing is to get started.

1. Make your circularity intentions clear for your suppliers. IT brands know that the circular paradigm shift is coming and a push from clients will help them take the big steps needed.

2. Select a supplier with sustainability ambitions. Common priorities can help support your circular and sustainable IT management goals. Make use of pre-competitive dialogs and RFIs to gather information from suppliers.

3. Include circularity criteria in your procurement policies and specifications. Examples could include durability and repairability criteria that will allow you to keep products longer, and criteria for reduction or elimination of hazardous substances that make materials more recyclable.

4. Purchase products that have already been used. Focus on functionality and make use of the possibilities offered by professional refurbishing and remanufacturing businesses.

5. Don’t overestimate the environmental and financial effects of changing to a more energy efficient device. In most cases, the potential savings are heavily overshadowed by negative impacts in the manufacturing phase.

6. Ask your supplier for an extensive warranty that covers service, repairs and battery replacements during your estimated use time.

7. Use your IT-products longer — it’s the single most important thing you can do to save natural resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

8. Think long-term when you purchase an IT product — buy a high-performance product that has enough capacity to meet your needs for several years.

9. Make sure that the products you buy are designed for a long life. They must be durable, upgradeable, and easy to repair.

10. Pay attention to battery life. Mobile IT products are often replaced because the battery has lost its capacity to hold a charge. To extend product life, make sure the battery is of high quality and can be replaced.

11. Extend battery life by keeping the product 20-80 percent charged as often as possible and avoid leaving it in hot spaces.

12. Remember to use the products in a circular manner — repair and upgrade your IT products when needed instead of disposing of them.

13. Work to gradually implement circular practices, such as take-back programs, in your own organization.

14. Investigate the current situation thoroughly to identify how and where circular practices can be introduced. A good start can be to interview people involved in IT purchasing and management.

15. Keep an eye out for old habits and policies that stand in the way for circular practices.

16. Be aware of the effects on employees. Engage them and make sure you have a mandate to change their routines.

17. Identify clear incentives — what are the benefits of going circular? It could be cuts in CO2 emissions, better operative results or lower costs for IT management.

18. Cooperation between functions is vital and will help you make faster progress. Invite decision makers and specialists from at least IT, procurement, sustainability, finance, facilities and communication for regular meetings to discuss circularity.

19. Build your arguments by reading up on the sustainability impacts of IT products throughout the supply chain, including climate, extensive use of scarce, natural resources, e-waste, hazardous substances, and social impacts.

20. Make sure that your hazardous e-waste doesn’t end up being illegally exported. Cooperate with a professional waste management firm that handles your end of life products in a safe manner.

21. Categorize people in your organization depending on their IT needs. This will help you optimize the use of devices and find opportunities for product reuse.

22. Accept that change is a process. You need to have a long-term perspective and allow time and space for behavioural changes.

23. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of additional income — resell IT products once you’re finished using them.

24. Remember that your IT products may have value even if they no longer meet the needs of your organization. Discuss resale options with a reputable refurbishment or remanufacturing firm. Consider also charitable donations or surplus resale to employees.

25. Develop internal policies and routines for the collection of used IT products. For example, avoid distributing new products to users before the old device is handed in.

26. If you want to resell your products, do it as soon as you’ve stopped using them. They lose value each month they are kept in storage.

27. Include chargers and cables when you sell the products — otherwise new chargers need to be manufactured and it reduces the environmental benefits and your income.

28. Protect your data — use software for safe data removal, or ensure that the company that you sell products to will manage this securely.

29. Make sure you deactivate digital systems for data security. Failing to do so makes devices useless on the second-hand market.

30. Team up with other buyers to increase your purchasing power and influence.

31. If the main aim is to establish a circular economy, there is no way to close loops on your own. You need to partner with stakeholders throughout the life cycle to get things done.

32. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Join networks, learn from others, and share what you know.

33. Keep in mind that even the smallest contributions are valuable. It doesn’t matter so much what the first step is as long as you take it.

What is the next step for you? Are you ready to get started? We have put together an easy-to-follow action plan with tips on buying and managing your electronics for the circular economy. Read more and access the action plan here.