From May 30 to June 2, Lenovo joined the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) in Helsinki, Finland. The WCEF gathered forward-looking thinkers and doers and presented the game-changers in the circular economy, including Lenovo. Starting with a great opening on “Circular solutions for nature and the economy”, the event delivered strong messages on the urgency to act now. The concept of a circular economy is now well established but needs to move to the next step and be implemented in our economy. This implementation will require education, regulations, and investments from all industries. Most importantly, embracing the circular economy can create more sustainable supply chains, decoupling greenhouse gas emissions from business growth for the future.
WCEF attendees were able to learn about Lenovo’s transition to a circular economy through innovations in our supply chain, product design and services. “It was enlightening to meet with companies – like our project end-of-life management partners, who are on the front lines of creating a circular economy for electronics. We saw first-hand how Lenovo’s focus on repairability and durability contributes to the prolonged lifecycles of refurbished and reused systems, creating opportunities throughout the circular value chain,” said William Dominici, Director PCSD Strategy, Lenovo. Lenovo’s innovations in packaging and product design were presented, like the Lenovo ThinkVision P32pz-30 monitor with 95% of post-consumer content (PCC) plastic ABS in the real cover & recycled metals steel and its industry first plastic-free packaging.
Rather than focusing on making a single product line sustainable, Lenovo is holistically integrating closed loop recycled plastic (plastic from electronics) into a wide range of products, including the recently announced Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 laptop and the Lenovo Tab Extreme which features a chassis made of 100% recycled aluminum. Lenovo’s packaging engineers never stop thinking about ways to make our packaging more sustainable through recycled materials and elimination of plastic. ThinkPad Z13 packaging is made from 100% bamboo and sugarcane fiber, and Lenovo Tab Extreme is also the first Lenovo tablet to have plastic free packaging.
Lenovo’s participation in the WCEF was also the occasion to discuss Lenovo’s sustainability services and Lenovo’s participation in the circular economy across products’ lifecycle. Considering there are more than 50 million tons of e-waste produced per year, Lenovo Asset Recovery Services can help give IT hardware a second life by encouraging the reuse, recycle and refurbishment of devices.
As a global technology powerhouse, we were proud to join the conversation at this year World Circular Economy Forum, demonstrate our commitment to this field, and contribute to the solutions it represents. “Having the chance to learn, interact and share with fellow circular economy advocates was beyond encouraging, said Claudia Contreras, Executive Director Global Sustainability Services, Lenovo. While we have a long road ahead, it is extremely motivating to know that we in Lenovo are putting real action behind commitments.”
Read more about Lenovo’s efforts to create a smarter, more sustainable future for all in the company’s FY 2021-22 ESG Report.
