ITK Industry Commits to Sustainability with Eco-Design and Circular Economy
The ITK industry, representing information technology, telecommunications, and consumer electronics, is committed to sustainability. Bitkom, the industry's association, promotes resource protection throughout the lifecycle of ITK products, from eco-design to disposal or reuse. The industry aims to increase resource efficiency, reduce environmental burdens, and enhance competitiveness while creating jobs.
Bitkom supports high transparency in recycling material sorting, aiding the circular economy. The ITK industry demands resources due to rapid technological development but also has potential to minimize resource consumption in other sectors. Cloud computing is an example of dematerialization in ITK, enabling more efficient resource use and smaller end devices.
The Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) has supported the promotion of resource protection throughout the entire life cycle of products, including IT, by developing guidelines and strategies for public procurers over several years. Bitkom has established a pan-European dialogue platform on remarketing of used ITK devices, the Product Reuse European Working Group. Bitkom supports and uses voluntary environmental labels like Blue Angel, Energy Star, and EPEAT. It also works on energy efficiency in data centers and establishes return structures for e-waste disposal. Additionally, Bitkom has created a platform for resource-saving ITK procurement in the public sector (www.itk-beschaffung.de).
The ITK industry, through Bitkom, is actively promoting resource efficiency and waste reduction. By embracing eco-design, dematerialization, and circular economy principles, the industry seeks to minimize its environmental footprint while driving innovation and job creation.
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