Why Circularity Makes 360-degree Sense

Design and manufacturing across all sectors are being re-engineered and re-purposed, for reasons we all understand. The tech industry, amongst others, is moving towards circularity: The recycling and re-use of as many components as possible. There is also a push to increase the lifespan of hardware, to future-proof it—or at least ensure that it has a longer-term capacity to keep up with software updates and advances, and that it is easier to repair, upgrade, and replace components, delaying permanent retirement.

These advances in design and manufacturing mean that a commitment to greater sustainability and circularity doesn’t just deliver a reputational lift, it positively impacts the bottom line. Crucially, IT decision-makers (ITDMs) now also understand that a commitment to circularity doesn’t mean a sacrifice in quality and performance—when considering total cost of ownership, it offers a smart return on investment. 

Surface Laptop Studio can switch between keyboard, creative canvas, and showcase display—and has the power to deliver it all seamlessly. 

For its new research report Hardware Total Cost of Ownership Concerns Driving a Flight to Quality, Microsoft interviewed ITDMs across a range of industries and organizations. The research suggests that reliability and durability are twice as important to them as a low price. However, according to the research, the average lifecycle of a workforce laptop is still just 3.2 years, and 74 per cent of ITDMs are looking to stretch the lifespan of devices by at least a year or two, with no drop-off in performance. 

Premium business technology, including Microsoft’s Surface portfolio, does offer that kind of longevity. And beyond the obvious cost benefits of extended lifespans, devices made from recyclable and reusable parts have a greater residual value.

Business models are also evolving. Over 30 per cent of ITDMs are using a cloud-based desktop as a service (DaaS), which makes lower performance demands of hardware, and uses less energy. There is also a growth in hardware leasing services, which recycle or reuse returned tech. 

There’s a Surface device to match every way of working—and they’re all designed with circularity in mind.

Microsoft’s entire Surface device portfolio is circular by design, built around a repair, re-use, and recycle model that minimizes waste and extends the lifespan of devices. And that shift to more durable and reusable professional tech is key to Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative, water positive, and achieving zero waste by 2030. (It has also committed to operate with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, and to have removed all of its legacy emissions by 2050).

Microsoft recently announced a partnership with “right-to-repair” champions iFixit, making it easier for companies and authorized service providers to repair enterprise Surface devices. The new Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s most repairable Surface Pro device to date, while Surface Laptop 5 is its most repairable laptop. Replaceable components in the Surface Laptop 5 include the display module, keyboard assembly, battery, motherboard, and storage. 

Microsoft’s commitments go beyond extending the useful life of products and parts. It is rationalizing logistics to reduce vehicles on the road and ships at sea, and moving towards carbon neutral distribution centres. It has also committed to making all of its packaging recyclable by 2025.

Up your Surface Pro 9’s abilities even further by adding a detachable keyboard with Slim Pen 2 charging tray. 

The tech industry has reached a tipping point. Creating devices with limited lifespans is no longer a viable business model or morally defensible. Consumers, professional and domestic, are increasingly looking for hardware they can upgrade and repair, if not by themselves then quickly and easily at a store or service centre.

They also want to know that when they do replace a device, as much of their old kit as possible can be recycled, reused or repurposed. Full circularity is still some distance away, but Microsoft, amongst others, is shifting at speed in that direction. 

More fundamentally, sustainability and sacrifice have been de-coupled. For IT decision-makers, the arrival of more durable, repairable, upgradable, and ultimately recyclable tech is a win in terms of long-term cost, quality, and sustainability. In IT, as in many other sectors, there is now a compelling business case for the more sustainable option.

To find out more, download here the new Microsoft Surface research report—Hardware Total Cost of Ownership Concerns Driving a Flight to Quality. 

This article was originally published by WIRED UK