Reducing our carbon footprint is a great way to save money, boost staff morale and lessen our impact on the environment. But applying this to a business takes a bit more thought than remembering to separate plastic from paper.
The new contract
We recently awarded a new ITS waste contract to a local supplier that offers a complete asset management process. This includes data cleansing, repairing and refurbishing old IT equipment.
The contract includes the option of selling our IT kit back to the private sector and, where possible, clawing revenue back in to the public purse.
Through this new contract we have reduced our destruction costs to zero, making an instant annual saving of £62,000.
How we do it
Our IT kit is carefully wiped of all data to make sure that everything is removed before it leaves DVLA.
It is then collected by the supplier and placed on a production line, where a physical check is carried out to check for any damage. Each element is given a monetary value, before being cleaned up and sent for resale or donation.
Where it all goes
We have a history of donating IT equipment to local schools, voluntary and charitable organisations through our sustainability team. Laptops, desktops and other redundant IT equipment have also been donated to schools in Zambia as part of the Giakonda project and to the Sponsoring Academic and Medical Access charity.
Laptops have also been reused through our ITS DRIIVE programme. We were able to identify which schools in the local Swansea area would benefit most from our old equipment by working with the Welsh Assembly.
Why it matters
Awarding this contract means we are closer than ever to achieving the goals as set out in our sustainability report.