Laptop refurbishment services

Ingram Micro Lifecycle’s laptop refurbishment solution supports the circular economy with innovative approaches.

A growing staple of our daily digital footprint

Since 2011, the sale of laptops had been declining. The global pandemic forced the world into a new mindset.

The shift from purely office-based working to both hybrid and work-from-home models called for a more flexible solution that enabled people to work from multiple places on one device. As a result, there was a surge in demand for laptops. Accessibility of these products became an issue as supply chains were unable to keep up. In one article, Forbes called laptops one of the “unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

It was not only our approach to work that changed, but communication too. Digital communication boomed as a way to connect with people anywhere in the world. Mobility devices became more of a staple for learning with the UK Government supplying over 1.3 million laptops and tablets across the 2019-21 academic years. These went to educational facilities and Local Authorities to support disadvantaged and vulnerable young people and families keep connected.

It's now predicted that the global laptop market will be valued at over $419 billion by 2033, rising from $211 billion in 2023. As the prediction for growth seems to be here to stay, with more laptops in circulation than ever before, it’s important to be aware of the impacts on manufacturing and natural resources to better manage our technology consumption.

Applying circularity to laptops

The typical lifespan of a brand-new laptop is 5 years. When a laptop becomes unusable or unwanted, it can be refurbished instead of becoming e-waste. Refurbishment extends the lifecycle of the laptop, supporting the circular economy. On average, a refurbished laptop can be used for another 3 years.

There are different ways a laptop can be refurbished, including:

  • Hygienic cleaning and reskinning
  • LCD screen replacement
  • Battery replacement
  • Keyboard replacement
  • Replacement of RAM or disk/hard drive

There are huge natural resource costs in manufacturing laptop components, most notably hard drives and batteries, which require high volumes of energy and water respectively. The main components (battery, disk, hard drive, and RAM) make up 60% of the carbon emissions released during manufacturing. A new laptop is responsible for up to 331 kilograms of CO2 emissions during its manufacture.

Refurbishment that uses second-hand parts instead of brand-new ones will have a higher sustainability impact, as this limits the resources consumed by the production of new parts.

Opting for a refurbished laptop in place of a new one can save the extraction of 126kg of raw materials, and 314g of electronic waste.  

The Importance of Refurbished Laptops V2-min

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Ingram Micro Lifecycle's commitment to laptop circularity

Combining different steps within one solution, Ingram Micro Lifecycle use different approaches to refurbish individual parts of a laptop. This supports the practice of only refurbishing components that need to be, minimizing waste. Where laptops cannot be economically recovered, parts are harvested to be used in the lifecycle extension of other units.

Data security

All laptops that we process are subject to a secure and auditable Blancco data wipe. This ensures sensitive data has been permanently erased from the products before refurbishment occurs. This is a scalable process that enables multiple laptops at one time to be wiped. It seamlessly integrates with ERP systems, providing customizable reporting and giving comfort with a certified audit trail.

Sustainability

Our solutions can be applied to any manufacturer or model of laptop. Up to 90% of spare parts that we use in the refurbishment process are harvested from other models to maintain sustainability and to minimize the carbon footprint. If the required spare part is not available from harvest supplies, these will be sourced from third parties or OEMs.

Repackaging

Finished products are packaged in a recyclable brown box with repackaged and bound accessories. These are labelled with pertinent details such as manufacturer, model, memory, colour, and grade, before being stored in the warehouse for call-off.

 

Our laptop refurbishment steps

Keyboard reprinting

This restores the keys without replacement. Worn keys will display faded or missing letters. This process coats the keyboard with adhesive before coloured lettering is added. A clear coat is then applied and UV cured for durability.

Reskinning

Vinyl sheets are cut to model-specific templates and applied to the top and/or bottom of the laptop. The surface is fully cleaned beforehand, removing any bumps or burs, to prepare the casing for the new vinyl cover.

This also covers the refurbishment of the trackpad and mouse buttons, as well as internal upper and lower sections. 

Contact us to discover how we can recover your preloved laptops.

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