Case Study: Advancing Sustainability and Efficiency for a Data Centre

Client Overview
Industry: Data Centre Services
Location: Australia
Services Provided: IT asset lifecycle management, e-waste recycling, and secondary IT product supply

Introduction

A leading Australian data centre faced significant challenges with its infrastructure. Many of the client IT assets within their facility had reached the end of security support, creating urgency for an infrastructure refresh. Simultaneously, the data centre needed to adhere to its sustainability principles and demonstrate environmental leadership to its clients. Historically, decommissioned assets were given away without financial returns or clear environmental benefits.

The client required a solution that aligned with their operational, sustainability, and financial goals while ensuring seamless upgrades for their clients.

Objective

• Upgrade client infrastructure to maintain security and operational efficiency.
• Align with the data centre’s sustainability principles by minimizing e-waste.
• Extract value from decommissioned assets to offset upgrade costs.
• Reduce environmental impact and contribute to Scope 3 emissions reduction.

Solution

1. Asset Repurposing:
   We collected the decommissioned IT assets, repurposing 30% back into the supply chain. This extended the lifecycle of these assets, reducing waste and supporting the circular economy.
   
2. Value Recovery:
   A significant credit was offered to the data centre based on the value of the decommissioned assets. This credit was used to purchase secondary IT products, enabling the data centre to refresh 20% of its infrastructure cost-effectively.
   
3. Sustainability Focus:
   All e-waste was processed within Australia, ensuring compliance with local regulations and transparency in handling.
   From one tonne of decommissioned assets, we extracted valuable raw materials, including:
   90g of silver
   310kg of copper
   9g of palladium
   
4. Scope 3 Emissions Reduction
   By integrating 20% secondary IT products into the refresh, the data centre avoided CO2 emissions associated with manufacturing new hardware.
   
   

   Results

   Material Recovery:
   Valuable materials, including silver, copper, and palladium, were recovered from decommissioned assets.
   
   Circular Economy Impact:
   30% of decommissioned assets were repurposed, extending their lifecycle and reducing e-waste.
   
   Sustainability Gains:
   20% of the upgraded infrastructure comprised secondary IT products, directly reducing Scope 3 emissions.
   
   

   Sustainability Impact
   
   

   Our partnership delivered tangible environmental benefits:
   
   E-waste Management: Processing all waste within Australia eliminated the risks associated with overseas disposal
   
   Circular Economy Leadership: The repurposing of 30% of assets demonstrated the practicality and impact of circular economy principles.
   
   Scope 3 Emissions Reduction: Integrating pre-owned products reduced the emissions linked to the production of new IT hardware.
   
   

   Next Steps:
   
   The data centre plans to expand on these successes through:

   Implementing an ongoing IT asset buyback and recycling program.

   Increasing the use of secondary IT products for future upgrades.

   Leveraging material recovery data to report on sustainability KPIs and enhance client trust.