Distribution giant Westcoast has teamed up with Dutch social enterprise Closing the Loop to stop scrap mobile phones ending up in African landfill sites.
Offered as a brand-new service that fulfils both the ‘E' and ‘S' of an ESG strategy, the initiative works when Westcoast's reseller customers purchase Closing the Loop's ‘One for One' service via the distributor, which collects and recycles electronic waste from countries that lack formal waste management facilities.
Under the initiative, a small contribution is made per new product bought, when a reseller or their customer opts in, which resellers can incorporate into a customers' overall costs. The scheme is not limited to mobile phones; for example, one new laptop equates to nine scrap mobile phones, and one tablet equates to three mobile phones.
After an agreement is signed, a network of trained collectors buy e-waste in Africa and then ship it to a certified recycler in Europe where it is recycled safely into raw materials according to EU standards.
Once the mobile phones have been recycled, a certificate is shared with the reseller, who can in turn, share it with their customers.
Andrea Bowyer, sustainability lead at Westcoast, said: "We are very excited about this new partnership. It provides a cost-effective way for our partners and their customers to work towards sustainable goals, with easy-to-report results.
"We want to build out our sustainability offerings for our customers. A lot of tenders have an ESG element and this gives our customers a differentiator and is an easy win."
She added that it is not the same as working with an ITAD and that those services are still very much needed.
"We will still be working closely with our ITAD partners. This is just an extra service to help our customers with their ESG goals. The scheme not only reduces electronic waste and gives precious raw materials a new life, but it also helps to create jobs in low-income economies."
A Closing the Loop representative said: "At Closing the Loop, we are excited to collaborate wiht Westcoast to bring our One for One circular IT service to the UK market. Westcoast is empowering its channel partners to meet the increasing customer demand for sustainable technology.
"Partners will be able to differentiate and generate extra revenue and margin. One for One is a proven service that integrates seamlessly with existing initiatives like repair and trade-in programmes. With Westcoast's extensive reach and expertise, we will expand this customer-centric service and reduce e-waste, making circular IT more accessible and impactful."
