CS1705

sustainable solutions
MANY HAPPY RETURNS!
RECALLS HAPPEN AND, WHEN THEY DO, ORGANISATIONS COME UNDER PRESSURE TO PROTECT THEIR
BRAND AND ENSURE THEIR CLIENTS HAVE A POSITIVE PRODUCT RETURNS EXPERIENCE
With commerciality, brand
reputation and data security at
the forefront of everyone's
minds, it's easy for sustainable solutions
to slip down the priority list. But ignoring
sustainability can further damage a
brand's reputation. Some high-profile
manufacturers have publicly come under
pressure for not keeping sustainability
front and centre when managing
defective product recalls.
Yet this is not an either/or situation, as
Anand Narasimhan, managing director,
Sims Recycling Solutions, EU, India,
points out. "Simple solutions exist to help
companies demonstrate their desire to
protect the environment, conserve natural
resources and participate in the circular
economy, all at the same time as
delivering a truly effective IT product
recall," he says.
"Corporate participation in the circular
economy is becoming increasingly
important, as the public and press
continually scrutinise corporate ethics
and social responsibility efforts. More
than previous generations, millennials
consistently rank a company's positive
impact on the world as a key
consideration when choosing an
employer, according to research carried
out by consultancy Global Tolerance.
Corporations are regularly ranked on their
environmental credentials, including the
level of sustainability built into their
supply chain and processes. At times
when a company is under scrutiny, such
as managing a global product recall,
these standards come under pressure.
"It is vital, therefore, that returned
products are handled appropriately.
Working with a certified, credible and
auditable vendor to manage your
returned IT product gives an organisation
this peace of mind and reassurance.
The 'Waste Hierarchy' developed by the
European Union provides useful
guidelines on the right way to approach
sustainability - reuse, recycle and
recovering energy to avoid landfill."
These considerations do not just apply
to recalls, he points out. "As products
become more robust and long-lasting,
many manufacturers are introducing
trade-in and trade-up schemes to
encourage the purchase of new products.
These programmes necessitate returned
products be recycled, thereby reducing
the grey market for their products."
Reuse might not seem like a viable
option when dealing with defective IT
product recalls, but that is not necessarily
the case. "Even when reusing an entire
asset isn't possible, circular economy
practices can be followed and
considerable value can still be recovered
through parts harvesting," says
Narasimhan. "IT assets likely still contain
valuable component parts that can be
used to refurbish or remanufacture other
devices, or can be sold on their own.
These efforts deliver value back to a
business to help offset the cost of the
recall, while increasing the lifecycle of a
product and minimising harmful waste."
Perhaps parts recovery is not feasible and
recycling is the only option. "Vendor
selection might not be at the forefront of
your mind when managing priorities
during your recall, but a recycling provider
needs to be thoroughly vetted," he adds.
"Many different services are marketed
under the term 'recycling', so you need to
carefully consider a vendor's capabilities
and their sustainability credentials. Truly
sustainable recycling providers have a few
common characteristics. The best recyclers
actively innovate to improve material
recovery levels. They work closely with
manufacturers to ensure they are fully
capable of processing new products and
materials. Best-in-class technology and
processes allow many materials to be
recovered and separated to a level
suitable for remanufacturing back to
usable products. This reduces the demand
for scarce and limited raw materials.
"Though not necessarily welcome, a
thoughtfully managed global product
recall offers businesses the opportunity
to be put their best sustainable foot
forward," he concludes.
Anand Narasimhan, managing director,
Sims Recycling Solutions, EU, India
www.computingsecurity.co.uk @CSMagAndAwards May/June 2017 computing security
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