Press Release

Gütersloh – For many years now, Arvato Systems has been making decommissioned IT and mobile devices available to the non-profit IT company AfB. There, they are reconditioned and marketed. As Europe's largest non-profit IT company, AfB gGmbH specializes in extending the service life of used IT and mobile devices. In addition, particular emphasis is placed on inclusion: Approximately 45% of the approximately 500 employees in five countries are people with disabilities.  

Using IT equipment for as long as possible is always the best option from a sustainability perspective because raw material extraction and the production of IT hardware always have social and environmental impacts. That is the reason why Arvato Systems relies on its partnership with AfB. Suppose the hardware can no longer be used in the company. In that case, it is made available to AfB, where it undergoes a certified deletion process and is finally refurbished and resold if possible. If overall remanufacturing is not feasible – for example, if the hardware is defective or too old – it is broken down into individual components whenever possible for recovering spare parts or passing it on to certified recycling companies.

According to AfB, from January 1 to December 31, 2021, the partnership with Arvato Systems saved, among other things, 62,032 kilograms of CO2 equivalents (= lower greenhouse gas emissions), 245,665 kWh of energy (= reduced primary energy consumption), and 30,603 kilograms of iron equivalents (= fewer raw materials consumed).

The partnership with AfB also supports several so-called Social Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable development goals agreed by the United Nations. These include, for example, the SDGs "less inequality," "sustainable consumption and production," and "climate protection measures.