Now that we have IT systems and digital technology and it is heavily implemented into all of the different work that we do, there are few who want to go back to the days of having to use paper ledgers for everything. When creating different IT systems such as computers, laptops and tablets, they are all shipped worldwide and play a key role in helping businesses operations. The fact of the matter is, in this day and age, if we did not have access to this kind of digital technology then our business would not be able to function. It is for these reasons that so many organisations opt for the help of IT specialists who can protect their software such as F1 Support.

Of course, whilst IT software is crucial for businesses, it does raise the question as to how much they have an impact on the environment. It turns out they can be quite harmful for a number of reasons which will be discussed in more detail below.

 

Mining

In order to create such digital technology, a lot of gold has to be mined every year and there is also a large number of steel and aluminium dug up for the likes of computer cases and copper collected for wiring. Not only do you need these but there are also rare earth materials that are essential to creating digital electronics which are key components to the creation of hard drives, batteries and displays.

All of these different substances come from mines and these create a large amount of unwanted waste material. This waste can end up altering landscapes and damaging ecosystems. It is also responsible for releasing unwanted toxins into the environment such as cyanide and mercury.

 

Shipping

We often think of freight containers that are filled with finished products; however, the bill for shipping has been increasing a lot recently. It takes a lot of energy to move products from A to B. A lot of different electronic equipment is transported by ocean freighters in shipping containers, which is one of the more efficient methods. They also use low-grade fuel oil that contains both sulphur and can be highly polluting.

 

Disposal

Even once the digital technology has been produced, there is a lot of the material that winds up in the normal waste stream and ends up within landfills. A lot of the material does not biodegrade and as such can be extremely harmful to the environment. There are efforts made by a lot of different IT organisations to dispose of this technology in a safe and environmentally friendly way, but the process is complex and so a lot of businesses will not reach out for this help, which can have a massively negative impact on your business.

 

Conclusion

It is important to recognise the potential negative impacts that IT systems can have on the environment and why it is important to enlist the help of IT support such as F1 Support when it comes to disposing of digital technology. We need this kind of technology to help run our businesses, but it is also important to look out for the planet. If you have any further questions, then do not hesitate to get in touch.

 

Photo by Ella Ivanescu on Unsplash