As major electronics companies continue to be accused of planning obsolescence into products, an IBM program focused on making good use of that old e-waste has been thriving. IBM’s Global Asset Recovery Services (GARS) can remanufacture just about any kind of IT equipment, regardless whether IBM made it. Since 1999, GARS has remanufactured and demanufactured nearly 68 million pounds of technology equipment.
Of all the equipment and material that GARS has processed in its demanufacturing centers, over 99 percent was recycled or reused, making IBM a standout in a technology industry where companies have been charged with deliberately undermining the longevity of their products to force users to buy newer models sooner.
Enhancing the program’s sustainability benefits is the fact that many GARS clients use the money they save to deploy IBM's Big Data services, which have helped building managers cut energy usage and arid regions improve water efficiency.