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HP takes steps towards circularity. Since 2001, annual reports have quantified the success of the companies’ initiatives concerning sustainability and carbon offset. HP exemplifies its mission through several product lines, including HP+ printers, where every printed page is equally offset by planting trees. Now HP Netherlands and Flex IT are announcing a new initiative: ‘Approved Selection by Flex IT’, a selection of laptops, desktop PCs and displays that are refurbished to achieve the longest possible lifespan, and made available for companies in the Netherlands.

By focusing on the quality of the product range, HP Netherlands and Flex IT hope to increase confidence in the longevity of refurbished IT products and circularity.

Why?

Oftentimes, sustainable entrepreneurship is both a moral and judicial choice. European climate targets are no longer exclusive to the agendas of large companies in a handful of excepted industries. Climate policy impacts most layers of society. Every entrepreneur has a stake in reducing their carbon footprint — a stake that is only expected to keep growing.

“Too few companies look at the sustainability of the IT equipment they use themselves, while that is exactly where there is still a lot of profit to be made,” says a spokesperson for HP Nederland and Flex IT. The new initiative, consisting of a selection of refurbished hardware with the longest possible lifespan, should bring such gains within reach. Flex IT and HP Nederland will distribute the selection worldwide.

Distinguishable

The product range is not an innovation in itself. Almost any form of refurbished hardware can be described as a circular initiative. However, HP and Flex IT imply that the quality of current refurbished assortments leaves much to be desired. As such, the initiators hope to distinguish themselves in terms of quality control. Product lifetime is vital. “With HP Approved Selection, we are creating a circular brand that removes all uncertainties about refurbished products,” says Leon Timmermans, CEO of Flex IT.

The launch of HP Approved Selection by Flex IT was announced on October 5, 2021. Which products will make up the product line is unknown at the time of writing.