3 Things Your IT Team Can Do to Be More Environmentally Friendly

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, October 24 6:00

Businesses already realize the many benefits of being as eco-friendly as possible in their daily operations. From stationing recycling bins in every work area to creating products made from recycled materials, environmental efforts contribute to the fight against global warming while also serving to impress customers and clients.

For IT teams, it may seem as though there aren t very many things they can do to contribute to the battle to reduce their carbon footprint. However, there are many ways IT teams can make a difference. Here are three of them.

Recycle Old Equipment

It isn t unusual for IT teams to have stacks of old equipment lingering in a corner somewhere. As new servers, computers, and printers come in, old devices need to be taken offsite, but sending hardware to landfills is not an eco-responsible solution. Instead, businesses should come up with a surplus option that either puts old equipment in the hands of those who need it or sends it to a recycling facility. For smaller businesses, some office supply and appliance retailers will provide a gift card in exchange for old equipment. Just be sure you completely wipe every hard drive to ensure your data doesn t end up in the wrong hands. If possible, remove the hard drive and destroy it, recycling the equipment without the drive intact.

Recycle Packaging

Most computer equipment arrives in boxes, with a large amount of packaging intended to ensure it isn t damaged during shipping. IT representatives should make sure that packaging is responsibly recycled instead of being sent to a landfill. Additionally, if your team needs to relocate equipment, it should be packaged in an environmentally-friendly manner, using only as much padding as is necessary to make sure it arrives safely. Eco-friendly packaging is also available to further highlight your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint.

Reduce Energy Consumption

One of the biggest nuisances to the environment comes from a business s server room or data center. If your IT team houses equipment onsite, it s important to reduce energy consumption in every way possible. Server virtualization can cut down on the amount of power each piece of equipment generates, keeping your server room cooler. It s also important to regularly have your air conditioning system checked to make sure it s operating efficiently. Some IT teams use economizers to cool server rooms more efficiently. Your data closets also likely have separate cooling systems, so make sure you regularly check their efficiency, as well. For work areas, the argument about turning off computers each night as opposed to leaving them on is ongoing. Energy-wise, asking employees to shut down before leaving for the day can be a solution, but many IT teams won t have this as an option, since they likely run updates and virus scans overnight.

IT teams can improve the efficiency of the services they provide end users by finding ways to reduce energy consumption. By making just a few minor changes, teams can make a big difference, passing the news of that improvement onto their clients or employers.