Sustainability and Green IT: Incorporating Eco-Friendly Practices into Device Inventory Management

businessnewstips June 13, 2022

2 4 minutes read

What are ways in which your company can save energy costs and remain environmentally friendly? For some companies, questions like this have caused no end of strategy meetings and helpful suggestions on how to achieve a greener and more eco-friendly business. Being sustainable is becoming more and more of a draw every year, as many companies recognize that it’s best to appeal to the rising trends of the time and seek ways in which their company can help to achieve a brighter future for the world while remaining cost-effective.

How to Increase Environmental Consciousness in the Workplace

Stretch the life of slightly outdated tech by refurbishing or reusing it.

Instead of discarding a work terminal, it would be most beneficial for the earth and the company’s budget to put more resources into updating the terminal from within. By replacing some hard drives and other PC components, a computer may be given new life with just a little bit of attention given to fixing it from within.

Invest in device inventory management strategies.

Device management is one of the most important aspects of any tech-based company. Without the health of your equipment, business would be much slower and would generally be negatively effected. With proper up-to-date tracking on all systems going in and out of the company, devices can be identified and adjusted for system optimization. Monitoring tools can also be implemented remotely to administer routine maintenance, repairs as well as upgrades to ensure the device’s longevity and continuance of use.

Consider recycling old unsalvageable tech.

If a terminal is considered a lost cause and has either been scrapped for usable components or left whole it may be worth it to the company to look into recycling the terminal instead of going to the global expense of having it eventually left in a landfill. Creating a partnership with a local e-waste removal service will help in reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint.

Select settings on terminals that will allow for optimized energy efficiency and be mindful of energy usage.

One way that employees can ensure that energy-saving techniques are being utilized during their work day is by choosing settings on their terminals for them to go to sleep after an appropriate time has passed, lowering brightness settings, and trying to limit CPU usage as much as they can.

Utilize a Cloud-based service across the board for all employees.

The use of cloud-sharing platforms allows for a better ease of access into terminals that may be experiencing some IT issues as well as saving physical space and energy spent on physical hardware requirements or large server rooms. This also assists in achieving better device management for system updates.

Procure and maintain partnerships with eco-friendly companies and services.

Sometimes the best way to achieve a greener company is by primarily focusing on partnerships with companies that have a well-established reputation for being green and sustainable. This may include services like the e-recycling service mentioned a few entries up but it may also include partnering exclusively with suppliers that look for sustainable ways of resourcing materials for your product.

Provide training to your employees to encourage them to keep an eye on their own energy consumption.

It may behoove some to set up an additional training or announcement segment discussing some ways that individuals can become more cognizant of their computer and network usage while on company time and equipment. Even simple things to add to employee awareness like making sure to turn off the terminal before leaving the premises could lead to more optimized energy conservation efforts in the next billing cycle.

Remote IT support can reduce transportation and other energy expenditures.

While not for every company, remote IT support services can provide a boon in both saving company time and budget while staying more viable for eco-saving options. Reducing IT support’s reach to remote access to the network allows for less stress on the earth by not requiring any pollution from automobile transportation between locations. Upgrades to cyber security compliance services may be in order to help streamline the IT process.

How to Be Environmentally Friendly as a Worker

By following these simple techniques, any company can find a subtle or perhaps more significant way of adjusting their policy or routine to achieve a more green and earth-friendly work environment. The key aspect in any of these approaches is to know that it is ultimately on the individual to consider what is best for the planet as well as the company. Here are some simple tips for individual workers to reduce their carbon footprint while at work:

Set timers for sleep mode when you go to lunch and turn off the computer at the end of the day. This helps reduce energy consumption while adding to the shelf life of your PC terminal.
Dispose of disposable coffee cups for good! By investing in a BPA-free reusable coffee thermos or bottle, you’re playing your part in making sure less plastic and paper end up in the ocean.
Make sure to report any leaks in any faucets or other pipes, and properly turn off the sink when you leave the break room/kitchen or bathroom. By reducing excess water waste when not in use, you are helping with overall sustainability.
Properly separating recyclable materials when utilizing green and e-recycling services can assist in the recycling process, making for less wasted materials being left on the recycling processing floor. Every year, thousands of recyclable materials get thrown out for not being in the correct area or not being cleaned well enough–make sure you wash your containers!
Try to use the self-service portal as much as possible when soliciting IT intervention. Technical issues can be daunting to deal with by oneself but with the knowledge that many IT technicians usually utilize remote IT capabilities, it’s best to reduce requests for physical hardware assistance to only when it is imperative to have physical repairs done. This prevents transportation pollution and more energy expenditure.