New service tackles business e-waste

A new service by a major laptop supplier will see hundreds of Surface computers repaired instead of replaced, and the service couldn’t have come sooner.

In 2020, New Zealand created 80,000t of e-waste – only 1600t (or two percent) of that was recycled. When it comes to computers, the majority of e-waste comes from business.

Because of this, Microsoft has launched a local repair service for its Surface range of laptops and tablets for business. Where previously Surface devices were swapped with replacements (and faulty devices exported for refurbishment), they are now repairable within New Zealand through The Laptop Company – the country’s first Surface Authorised Service Provider.
With 88 percent of overall CO2-equivalent emissions coming from initial device production and shipping, repairing otherwise-perfect devices is the single largest way to reduce CO2-e and e-waste, rather than chucking and replacing with new.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this service to our Microsoft customers in a really great step forward in terms of sustainability,” says The Laptop Company’s CEO, Mark Mayo.

“By opting for repairs over replacements, the carbon footprint of broken or faulty devices is drastically reduced, as faulty units are no longer exported for remanufacture. Being able to repair Surface devices here in New Zealand means things like broken screens and ports will no longer result in people sending otherwise perfect devices to recycling or landfill.”

The Laptop Company will offer the repair service to fleet owners including through their Renew service, which takes broken and out-of-warranty devices, repairs them and reinjects them into fleets to reduce e-waste and unnecessary replacement device purchases.

“We’re pleased to be able to locally employ technicians. Our service centres in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin mean fleet owners can access prompt and reliable repairs and get their users back to business quickly,” says Mayo.

By extending the useful life of broken devices that are otherwise perfect, The Laptop Company is helping deliver Microsoft’s vision for reducing the carbon footprint of New Zealand workplaces.
“Repairability is a huge issue worldwide, and the average New Zealander produces more than 21kg of e-waste each year. We believe everyone should have safe, reliable, and sustainable options to repair devices rather than sending them to landfill, but sending them to repairers offshore also had an environmental impact,” explains Mayo.
“This announcement by The Laptop Company means Kiwis can not only cut emissions by having their devices repaired, but have them repaired locally by a trusted partner, which is great news for our planet and for our customers too,” says Menisha Naran, Senior Marketing Lead, Surface Devices for Microsoft Asia.