High-quality laptops, PCs, or smartphones with a sustainable approach at low prices and thus give people with disabilities job prospects: With the refurbished IT from AFB social & green IT, price-conscious customers will find the suitable device, which with their purchase is a sign of environmental and climate protection want to set – without having to compromise on quality. AFB has become the largest non-profit IT company in Europe with this unique concept. Where’s the secret?
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Refurbished IT Hardware As An Alternative To New Devices
AFB buys IT hardware that is no longer required, such as notebooks, PCs, and smartphones, from more than 1,500 partners such as companies, banks, or authorities, deletes all existing data with certified data destruction, professionally prepares the devices, and sells them as refurbished IT to private and corporate customers further – cleaned, technologically revised and equipped with the appropriate operating system.
As one of only five Microsoft Authorised Refurbishers certified, AFB offers professional handling of installation and service and has already installed more than 500,000 Microsoft licences. In addition to the standard Windows 10, AFB offers many devices with Windows 11.
The refurbished laptops are primarily business hardware. This is significantly higher quality and more durable than regular consumer notebooks from standard retailers. Customers thus receive highly robust, durable, and repairable devices designed to be upgraded and converted at any time.
The Ecological Impact Of Refurbished IT
Because the refurbished laptops and PCs are high-quality company hardware, customers can significantly improve their ecological balance because something that lasts longer and is used longer reduces its own CO 2 emissions. And every single one adds up to an overall ecological effect of AFB – which is considerable.
In 2021 alone, the company processed more than 450,000 IT and mobile devices, 59% of which could be remarketed. As a result, AFB saved 33,900 tons of CO 2 compared to new production, 242 million litres of water, 130,300 MWh of primary energy, and 20,600 tons of raw materials. Numbers prove how effective the remarketing of company IT is – and how worthwhile the purchases of private and corporate customers are.
The following example illustrates how large the contribution that individuals can make to reducing CO 2 emissions:
Every customer who uses a notebook refurbished by AFB for 7.5 years instead of 4.5 years saves 113.65 kg of CO 2 compared to a newly produced notebook. This corresponds to a savings of 66%!
The IT technicians put all the devices through the AFB refurbishment centre through their paces. Continued use has the highest priority: To upgrade laptops and PCs if necessary or replace defective parts, only components from other devices that the company has in its spare parts warehouse are used if possible.
The specialists at AFB only separate what is defective. They can no longer be reused and hand it over to certified recycling companies to recover as many of the raw materials as possible and feed them back into the economic cycle – one of the EU’s core elements of the Green Deal.
Sustainability And Inclusion As Corporate Purpose
More than 650 employees work at AFB, more than 45% of whom are people with disabilities. This makes AfB the largest non-profit IT company in Europe. As an inclusive company, AFB offers all people with disabilities permanent jobs subject to social and pension insurance contributions – a significant advantage compared to working in workshops for the disabled.
AFB is the first inclusion company that, as a signatory of the UN Global Compact, is committed to the ten goals of the United Nations for responsible corporate governance and publishes the progress report (COP) annually.
More Than 1,500 Partner Companies As Hardware Suppliers
AFB social & green IT uses a network of more than 1,500 partner companies that sell their decommissioned hardware to AFB. Among them are big names like Siemens, Boehringer Ingelheim, Schaeffler, or new companies like Volocopter GmbH, which develops innovative air taxis for international mega-cities.
Partner companies benefit from selling discarded hardware to the non-profit AFB gGmbH and thus achieving their own sustainability goals. This is particularly relevant for sustainability reports, which will become mandatory for companies with 250 or more employees from 2023.
For this purpose, AFB provides an annual, qualified certificate of effectiveness with all CSR indicators that partners can use in their CSR communication. They are also increasingly buying large quantities of refurbished hardware themselves.
The devices are available in five stationary shops or the online shop with a 12-month guarantee. For companies that need larger quantities, AFB creates individual offers.
Also Read: The Green Digital World – Suggestions For More Sustainable Success
