Compugen Finance quantified the CO2 emissions reductions generated by the refurbishing and reselling process and presented its findings to the Canadian Standards Association, which approved the methodology and registered the carbon credits.iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Compugen Finance is breaking ground with a new initiative: offering customers a carbon-neutral computer. According to Brent Smiley, director of Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) programs at Compugen Finance, consumers will now have the opportunity to make their online computer purchase a sustainable one. “Customers who are buying refurbished devices are promoting re-use, which is great for the environment. Re-use extends the life of a device, which means fewer new computers need to be manufactured, and the CO2 that would have been released into the atmosphere during this process is no longer being generated,” he explains.
But a refurbished computer has its own carbon footprint as a result of the manufacturing process and through the electricity required to operate the device. “To offer a truly carbon-neutral computer, we decided to include one of our carbon credits with each one sold, so our customers can offset their own carbon footprint and know that they have done their part to help the environment,” says Mr. Smiley.
And it isn’t just online buyers who benefit; companies looking to trade in their end-of-first-life devices can also receive verified carbon credits to help offset their corporate carbon footprint, in addition to realizing top-dollar value.
To offer a truly carbon-neutral computer, we decided to include one of our carbon credits with each one sold.
— Brent Smiley, director of Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) programs at Compugen Finance
Compugen Finance first quantified the CO2 emissions reductions generated by the refurbishing and reselling process and presented its findings to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which approved the methodology and registered the carbon credits.
The carbon credits generated through the program are registered and serialized as verified emissions reduction removals with the GHG CleanProjects registry, operated by the CSA. “Our customers can visit the site and see their serialized carbon credits, thus confirming that their sustainable purchase has helped the environment,” says Mr. Smiley.
The impact and benefit of the new initiative is bound to be substantial. Compugen Finance currently refurbishes and resells as many as 100,000 computers annually. Mr. Smiley adds that buyers also benefit from the fact that Compugen Finance is a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher, a designation that allows it to apply legal licences to the computers it sells.
These computers are now available at Amazon.ca or shop.carbonneutraltechnology.ca. As a special promotion, Globe readers can purchase a device from shop.carbonneutraltechnology.ca and receive 10 per cent off their first purchase when they enter the promo code ‘Globe10’ at checkout (valid until April 30).
Sponsor content feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.