What Klaske Kruk Clearly Pointed Out

Last week, Russian drones were shot down over Poland. In a sharp analysis, Klaske Kruk highlighted that this was not just a military incident but a signal. Security does not begin at the border but with how we manage our resources. The fewer new materials we need, the less vulnerable we are to geopolitical pressure. Smarter reuse means more strategic autonomy.

This does not only apply to tanks and batteries but also to our digital infrastructure. Servers, storage, and network equipment form the backbone of every organization. Yet they are often replaced too early, leading to three major consequences: a growing mountain of e-waste, unnecessary CO₂ emissions, and dependency on fragile supply chains.

E-waste: the Fastest-Growing Waste Stream

When sustainability in IT is discussed, the focus is usually on energy consumption and CO₂. But the real waste stream is growing elsewhere: in discarded hardware. Worldwide, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste category.

A container full of servers sent to the scrap heap contains tons of steel and aluminum, hundreds of kilos of copper, and significant amounts of cobalt, gold, and palladium. Materials that are hardly recovered and often mined under harsh conditions. Every time you extend the lifespan of hardware, you directly reduce waste and relieve pressure on scarce resources.

The key point: this is not a distant issue. It is a lever organizations can pull today. You can decide tomorrow not to replace a batch of servers or storage, but to keep them running longer.

The CO₂ Side: the Hidden Half

With servers and storage, more than half of total CO₂ emissions often occur before the equipment has even been switched on. These are the embedded emissions from production and transport. Every replacement cycle brings that hidden burden back to the surface.

By keeping hardware in use longer, you delay these emissions and reduce how often they occur. This makes circular IT not only an environmental issue but also a strategic choice: less e-waste, less demand for critical resources, and more control over costs and supply security. It is a lever that organizations rarely use—yet it delivers immediate, measurable benefits.

Why This Is Strategic, Not Just Sustainable

Working circularly with IT hardware addresses more than a sustainability challenge. It is about control over your own resources.

• Less e-waste: each year of extended lifespan prevents valuable materials from becoming premature waste.

• Less dependency: less reliance on scarce resources from geopolitically sensitive regions.

• Lower costs: deferred investments and less implementation pressure.

• Stronger reporting: circularity makes sustainability reporting more convincing and complete.

These are benefits felt directly in the boardroom: less risk, lower costs, and a story that resonates with stakeholders.

More Than Avoiding Waste

Every replacement of IT systems sends valuable materials into the waste stream and back into the supply chain. By extending hardware lifespans, you prevent unnecessary e-waste, reduce pressure on scarce resources, and postpone major investments.

What does that mean in practice?

• No unnecessary flow of discarded hardware heading for the scrap heap.

• No new orders placed with already strained supply chains.

• No millions in capex written off too early.

This is not a theoretical scenario. More and more organizations are choosing to extend their IT hardware lifecycles. The result: immediate benefits in cost savings, sustainability, and strategic resilience.

From Reporting to Strategy

Many organizations see reporting as a compliance exercise. Meeting CSRD or other sustainability frameworks is important, but not enough.

The organizations that embrace circular IT use it as a strategic advantage:

• They are less vulnerable to geopolitical shocks.

• They free up budget for innovation instead of replacement.

• They show stakeholders they are forward-thinking and in control.

As Klaske Kruk put it: fewer new materials = more security. For IT, that translates into less waste, less dependency, and greater resilience.

How We Prepare You in Four Steps

1. Inventory & Roadmap
We map your entire IT landscape: hardware, environmental impact, and residual value. We then connect this to a multi-year roadmap, giving you clarity on what can be replaced, extended, or reused in the years ahead.

2. Secure Extension
Servers, storage, and switches often last much longer—even beyond official end-of-life. We show you how this can be done safely, ensuring your hardware continues to run reliably for years.

3. Insight & Reporting
We translate technical analysis into clear reports that support CSRD and broader sustainability disclosures. This enables you to convince stakeholders with concrete data on savings, e-waste reduction, and circular choices.

4. Complete Support
We can organize the entire process from analysis to extension, reuse, and recycling, always aligned with your decisions. You set the direction, we make sure the plan is executed and your IT is made as circular and future-proof as possible.

From Signal to Strategy

Klaske Kruk highlighted the real issue: our dependence on resources. IT is an underestimated part of that story. The question is not whether we should work circularly, but how quickly we can act.

By putting circular IT at the center, you prevent waste, reduce risks, and build autonomy. Not as a box to tick in a report, but as a deliberate strategic choice.

Want to Apply This?

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