Who is this guide for?
This article is written for sustainability managers, CSR leads, and finance directors responsible for compiling an organisation’s ESG report or sustainability disclosure. It assumes a working knowledge of ESG frameworks but no specialist knowledge of IT asset disposal.
If you are new to the topic of how IT disposal connects to ESG, the background article on ESG and IT disposal is a useful starting point.
What ESG frameworks mention IT disposal?
Several major reporting frameworks include provisions that IT disposal data can satisfy:
GRI 306 (Waste) — the Global Reporting Initiative’s waste standard asks organisations to disclose total weight of waste by type and disposal method, the proportion diverted from disposal, and hazardous waste generated. WEEE is classified as hazardous waste under UK and EU definitions. Certified ITAD documentation maps directly onto GRI 306 disclosures.
GHG Protocol — Scope 3, Category 5 (Waste generated in operations) — retired IT equipment generates Scope 3 emissions. If devices are refurbished and reused, the carbon avoided (through not manufacturing replacements) can be documented. If devices are recycled, material recovery data provides a Scope 3 contribution.
SASB — the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board includes circular material use and energy management indicators in its technology sector standards. IT refurbishment and WEEE recycling data is relevant here.
UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) — large UK companies are required to report energy use and associated carbon emissions under SECR. Scope 3 reporting, including waste, is encouraged as best practice.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — IT donation programmes align with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Many ESG reports cross-reference SDGs for stakeholder audiences.
What metrics should you capture for IT disposal?
The following metrics, sourced from a certified ITAD provider, give you the raw material for meaningful ESG disclosure:
| Metric | What it measures | Relevant framework |
|---|---|---|
| Number of devices collected | Volume of IT assets removed from service | GRI 306, SECR |
| Weight of WEEE diverted (kg) | Total mass of e-waste kept out of landfill | GRI 306 |
| Devices refurbished and reused | Count of assets given a second life | SASB, SDG 12 |
| Devices donated to beneficiaries | Count of assets transferred to social recipients | SDG 10 |
| CO₂ avoided (kg or tonnes) | Embodied carbon saved by avoiding new manufacture | GHG Protocol Scope 3 |
| Materials recovered for recycling (kg by type) | Metals and plastics returned to supply chain | GRI 306, SASB |
| Data destruction certificates issued | Governance evidence of secure disposal | Data Protection Act 2018 |
| Type and location of beneficiary organisations | Social impact detail | SDG 10, social KPIs |
A reputable ITAD partner will provide most of these figures as a matter of course. If your current provider cannot supply them, that is a signal worth noting.
How to write IT disposal into the Environmental section
In the environmental section of an ESG report, IT disposal is typically reported under waste management or circular economy contributions.
A concise paragraph might read:
“During [reporting period], [organisation] retired [X] IT assets totalling [Y] kg of WEEE. All assets were handled by [certified ITAD partner]. [Z]% were refurbished for reuse, diverting [kg] from landfill and avoiding an estimated [CO₂ figure] kg of carbon emissions through the displacement of new device manufacture. The remaining [%] were recycled through certified WEEE treatment facilities, with [kg] of metals and materials recovered for re-entry into the supply chain.”
This is the kind of specific, verifiable statement that distinguishes a credible ESG disclosure from a generic sustainability claim.
How to write IT disposal into the Social section
The social dimension of IT disposal is often under-reported, because organisations do not recognise the social value of the devices they donate.
When retired but functional devices are refurbished and given to schools, care leavers, job seekers, or families without technology, this is a form of community investment. It addresses digital exclusion — a well-documented social inequality in the UK — and can be reported alongside other community contribution metrics.
Example language:
“In partnership with Recycle4Charity, [organisation] donated [X] refurbished devices to [beneficiary organisations] during [reporting year], providing technology access to [number of beneficiaries] individuals in digitally excluded communities across London.”
Recycle4Charity can supply the beneficiary detail needed to make this statement accurate and specific.
How to write IT disposal into the Governance section
Governance reporting on IT disposal centres on data security and regulatory compliance.
Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, organisations must ensure personal data is not accessible on retired devices. A certificate of data destruction from a certified ITAD provider is the evidence of compliance.
Example language:
“[Organisation] processes all retired IT assets through [certified ITAD provider]. Every asset undergoes documented data destruction prior to reuse or recycling, and certificates of data destruction are retained on file. This process supports compliance with UK GDPR obligations regarding the secure disposal of personal data.”
This belongs in the governance section alongside data privacy and information security disclosures.
What does Recycle4Charity’s ESG impact report include?
Business partners receive an ESG impact summary from Recycle4Charity covering:
- Total devices collected and processed
- Devices refurbished and donated (with beneficiary organisation types)
- Weight of WEEE diverted from landfill
- Estimated CO₂ avoided through device reuse
- Materials recovered through certified recycling
- Copies of data destruction certificates
This summary is designed to be used directly in ESG reports, tenders, and client disclosures. It provides the third-party verification that internal estimates cannot.
For more on the environmental and social case for responsible IT disposal, visit our business ITAD and WEEE services page or read about what ESG reporting for IT disposal involves.
If you are completing an ESG report this year and need documented impact from your IT disposal, get in touch with our team. We can arrange a collection and provide the data you need.