Circular Economy & Waste Management
How embracing the circular economy can be a game-changer for businesses
Circular economy offers businesses an opportunity to break through the volatile economy as global uncertainty continues to impact businesses economically, environmentally and socially.
Image credit: Calvin Sihongo on Unsplash
The sustainability conversation is no longer about lofty ideals: It’s about survival, resilience and relevance. There is more than enough policy, strategy, and information in place to guide businesses toward sustainable practices. The African Development Bank has established the Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) to foster Africa’s transformation by adopting a circular economy; the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) based at the UN hosted COP23 by South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda seeks to establish a collaboration of various initiatives; and the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals laid out three interconnected pillars - environmental, social responsibility and economic performance, to ensure that sustainability initiatives are financially viable and support economic growth without compromising environmental and social goals.
What's required now is the collective commitment from companies to support circular economy initiatives and get government departments to accept refurbished options when spending public money.
Electronic waste
Globally, e-waste is growing rapidly; around 50 million tonnes are generated annually, and a significant amount of that waste is shipped to Africa and Asia for recycling. According to the EPR Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA), South Africans produce about 6.2kg of electronic waste per person per year. That's 360,000 tonnes, equivalent to 432 laptops per minute. Of that total, around 12% is formally recycled, and the vast majority goes straight to landfills, where it can leach harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic, mercury, flame retardants, and certain phthalates into the soil and groundwater, posing a significant risk to human and environmental health.
As global and local regulations tighten, businesses that fail to manage their resource consumption and waste effectively could face reputational damage, compliance penalties, and exclusion from supply chains focused on ESG procurement, posing both an environmental and a business risk.
IBIS World reports that Europe's consumer electronics repair market size has reached €3.1bn as of 2024. Revenue volatility in this market is low, and revenue has grown at a CAGR of 7.2 % from 2019 to 2024. This indicates confidence in the activity and acceptance of the proposition not only from an environmental perspective but also from a financial and social perspective. In fact, IDC, in their Refurbished Devices Multi Client Study (2024), reports that 74% of those surveyed already use or are planning to use refurbished printing devices in the next two years.
The drivers make for interesting reading:
- Cost motivates only 56% of respondents.
- The desire for sustainability at 40% and policies for sustainability at 39% are strong indicators that considerations are wider than financial;.
- Post-decision financial incentives, such as rebates or discounts, are driving consideration in 24% of respondents.
- About 24% also listen to recommendations from peers and other influences.
A practical, scalable path
An important fact to consider is that circular print solutions are only as good as the standards behind them. Businesses must ensure that refurbished devices meet manufacturer specifications, include relevant certifications, and integrate seamlessly into modern IT environments.
The proposition doesn’t just stop at the equipment. Xerox CEO Steve Bandrowczak pointed out to clients – at a business breakfast on 1 April 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa – that more than 65% of service calls into the global contact centre were resolved remotely, negating the need for numerous car journeys and minimising pollution. If a technician needs to be dispatched to service a device, they depart already knowing from data provided by AI-driven remote diagnostics what the issue is and can then carry the necessary parts with them, making a return to fix far less likely, again driving down the number of journeys.
If further support is needed, the technician can access an augmented reality session through tools that allow them to get support from experts as if they were in the room, reducing the potential for unnecessary repairs and the consumption of spare parts. This approach contributes to the overall sustainability of a refurbished equipment experience and reduces risks to adoption.
As South Africa faces increasing pressure to deliver on ESG targets, manage resource scarcity, and enable inclusive growth, circular economy initiatives offer a practical, scalable path forward. As the ACEA states, by 2030, global circular economy efforts could generate $4.5trn in economic benefits. That is a number that South African businesses cannot afford to ignore.
The technology is here. The expertise is here. Now all we need is the effort to embrace the circular economy.
About the author
Dan Smith is the head of revenue operations at Altron Document Solutions