What it's about: The aim is to ensure that an adequate recycling project is implemented, used to full potential, and progressively updated.
Issues: Computing equipment accounts for 8% of the electronic industry's waste in Europe. The production of just one computer uses 240kg of fuel, 1,5 litres of water and 22kg of chemical products and heavy metals. 450,000 computers reach the end of their lifespan every day globally, and just a fifth of electronic waste is disposed of via a certified processing centre.
The host must provide documentation of data centre policies of recycling IT equipment, and all consumables (paper, printer cartridges...). The host will be required to make all certificates and traceability available regarding its IT equipment.
Sustainable development in a Data Centre means the optimisation of equipment lifespan, and ensuring it is eventually recycled or sold on when no longer in use. This prevents disposal of materials which could be potentially harmful to the environment, and encourages re-use. This process should also be extended to consumables (cartridges and printer paper...)
The recycling of electronic waste has become a highly mediatised topic since the implementation of the WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment) directive. Despite this, it has still failed to reach the attention of some businesses. Ecological taxes are in force (primarily in sales industries) already with operations and guidelines in place. Other industries however, have made far less progress. Recycling of waste is a cost to the hosted services provider. This must be included in contracts between the hosted services provider and the client.