From linear to circular: tackling e-waste via commercially viable product take-back
- Circuleire IMR
- Sep 9, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 18, 2025
Irish Manufacturing Research, in our capacity as the secretariat of CIRCULÉIRE in collaboration with Zero Waste Scotland, curated a multi-sectoral circular innovation exchange in September 2025 for our industry members which included multiple site visits to Scottish circularity pioneers.
During this international trip we visited HPE’s Technology Renewal Centre in Erskine, where they are redefining how we view aged IT such as laptops and servers - treating used technology not as waste, but as a valuable resource. Through their Technology Renewal Centres, HPE extend the lifecycle of equipment, unlock funds from existing technology and return that value to their customers.
Why does this matter?
E-waste is no longer just a waste management problem. It is a strategic, economic, and environmental challenge. According to The Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, the world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, an 82% increase since 2010 and is on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. Despite Europe having the highest collection rate globally (42.8%), over half of e-waste still escapes formal systems, resulting in lost critical raw materials and avoidable emissions.
The problem to solve
Much of today’s discarded IT equipment such as laptops, desktops, monitor and servers still hold significant economic and functional value. Premature disposal leads to resource depletion, increased demand for virgin materials, and escalating CO₂ emissions from manufacturing new devices. In Ireland, per capita e-waste generation is among the highest in the world (20,6 kg per person), yet collection rates remain under 50%.
Circular strategies: a better way forward
Recycling alone cannot close the gap. Circular strategies and practices like as-is reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing can keep ICT products in use for longer, extending life-spans and reducing the need for virgin resource extraction.
Reuse ensures devices find a second life through redeployment or resale as-is.
Refurbishment inspects reported faults with a view to restoring equipment to a high-quality for resale / extended life.
Remanufacturing goes further by rebuilding products to a guaranteed to perform “as new” standards whilst saving costs and related emissions.
These circular strategies offer measurable business and environmental benefits, including lower total cost of ownership and reduced Scope 3 emissions. Over the past 3 years, HPE returned 9.5 million IT assets (including laptops, servers) to use achieving a 96% resale rate for laptops and 84% for servers.
Interestingly what is key to HPE’s takeback and resale success is the financing they provide companies to rekit their new products whilst taking back their outdated ICT – an approach that could be replicated by others.
Irish Context - Role of EPRs & Public Procurement as a Catalyst
In an Irish context, WEEE Ireland, one of the two national e-waste Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance schemes, is moving beyond a recycling-first approach to embrace as-is reuse, repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing initiatives to co-develop the Irish circular electronics and IT ecosystems required to keep products in use for longer and unlock greater value from recovered materials.
Ireland’s Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria for ICT (2024) include clear requirements for the supply of refurbished or remanufactured equipment, enabling the Public Sector to lead by example, embedding circularity into procurement frameworks, setting market expectations, and stimulating demand for circular business models.
What can you do?
Whether you’re in the public or private sector, now is the time to reimagine your IT asset strategy: think beyond traditional ownership, explore leasing and as-a-service models, integrate remanufactured and refurbished equipment into your procurement and IT Asset Disposition strategies. This strategy defines how an organisation securely, responsibly, and efficiently manages end of life IT assets. It covers data sanitisation, reuse, refurbishment, resale, recycling and compliant disposal to minimise data risk, reduce environmental impact, and maximise recover value.
By giving ICT technology a longer use-life, we can protect critical raw materials , reduce emissions, and unlock value, demonstrating that waste can be transformed into a resource.
IMR are proud to be leading the Irish pilot of the Interreg NWE CircularShift project which seeks to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by scaling up circular procurement practices for frequently purchased public-sector products such as phones, laptops, and workwear across 5 regions Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Ireland.
In 2026 IMR will reach out to organizations across Ireland's public procurement landscape and value chain partners to understand training needs and unlock new opportunities. We will also establish a dynamic working group centered on a procurement pilot for laptops or phones and host an innovative "Meet Your Supplier" event. Watch this space for details as plans take shape!
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CIRCULÉIRE Member Case Study – Green IT
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