CIOs paying for a waste problem vendors created

Kwirirai Rukowo, Managing Executive of Qrent. (Image: Qrent)

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CIOs pride themselves on digital leadership, yet one of the most dangerous failures in enterprise IT happens in plain sight. Vendors talk about the circular economy, sustainability and ESG, but when your equipment reaches end of life, they vanish. The burden of disposal shifts straight onto your organisation. You carry the risk. They keep the revenue. This is the dirty secret the industry would rather you ignore.

Qrent believes responsibility does not end when a device is delivered. Qrent supports reduces, re-uses and recycles, but slogans mean nothing without ownership of the full life cycle. Under the National Environmental Management Waste Act and the Extended Producer Responsibility framework, anyone who supplies or refurbishes equipment must take responsibility for the entire lifespan of that equipment. Vendors cannot hand off the burden to the client and pretend the work is done.

In practical terms, this means when a device becomes obsolete, Qrent takes it back. The company prevents it from being dumped in a landfill or polluting water systems. Qrent refurbishes it where possible and recycles it when required. Qrent tracks the process and closes the loop. Any vendor that refuses to do the same is working within an outdated and irresponsible model.

Organisations sign impressive contracts, but too many vendors disappear when hardware reaches end of life. The result is unmanaged liability, regulatory exposure and the risk of equipment falling into the wrong channels. This is not sustainability. This is a transfer of cost and risk from the vendor to the client, which ultimately affects total cost of ownership. If your vendor is only accountable for delivery, you are enabling a broken system.

This is why Qrent tells its clients to demand evidence of real Extended Producer Responsibility. Insist on life cycle management that covers acquisition, operation, decommissioning, return, re-use and recycling. If a vendor cannot show documented processes, metrics, chain of custody and certifications, they are not contributing to your sustainability mandate. They are convenience suppliers, not strategic partners.

The uncomfortable truth is that many vendors profit from waste.

It is easy for them to sell new equipment. It is profitable. But when it comes to what happens when that equipment becomes redundant, responsibility evaporates. Clients pay premium prices believing they have chosen a safe option, only to discover the vendor is nowhere to be found when disposal becomes an issue. The result is mounting waste, expanding landfills and growing environmental risk. This is not innovation. It is negligence.

Qrent's position is clear – it accepts obsolete equipment through its complete information technology asset disposition programme. Qrent ensures nothing ends up in landfill or water systems. The company refurbishes devices to extend life where possible and recycles responsibly when not. It documents the impact in kilograms of e-waste prevented, device lives extended and raw materials preserved. Qrent's clients report measurable progress rather than marketing claims.

CIOs must start asking the questions vendors hope you avoid

• When a vendor promises to handle disposal, ask how.
• Do they guarantee secure and responsible decommissioning?
• Do they provide certificates that prove compliance?
• Do they take equipment back at no extra cost?
• Can they prove that nothing ends up in landfills or water streams?
• If the answer is no, you are outsourcing your risk to the very party that created it.

This is where leadership matters

Qrent is raising the bar not for brand positioning but because moral duty and business sense are aligned. The world cannot absorb another cycle of buy, use, dump. Regulations are tightening, reputational exposure is rising and stakeholders expect real accountability. The question is no longer whether life cycle responsibility matters. The question is who will step up and lead.

Buying refurbished equipment is not enough if the vendor ignores the back end. Without take-back responsibility, your sustainability efforts end in a landfill. A vendor that sells you hardware but refuses to manage obsolescence is not neutral. It is part of the problem.

Qrent's challenge to the industry

• Qrent will hold itself accountable.
• Qrent will accept all equipment that clients hand back.
• Qrent will not shift environmental or legal risk to anyone else.
• Qrent will document and report real impact.
• Qrent will encourage clients to demand the same of every vendor it works with.

To every CIO and procurement leader: end of life must be part of your vendor assessment. It is not optional. If a vendor cannot demonstrate total life cycle responsibility, you are buying into a legacy of waste and you will inherit the consequences.

Sustainability is not a label. It is a chain of actions and a long-term commitment. If you procure technology and then turn a blind eye to the final stage, you share responsibility for what follows. Ask the difficult questions. Reject comfortable excuses. Choose vendors that take ownership of the full life cycle. Your environment, your business and your reputation depend on it.