Sustainability, once a side concern in the technology industry, has become a core business priority. It is being fuelled by soaring energy costs, environmental regulations and growing pressure from customers and stakeholders to operate in a more responsible way.
To address these concerns, First Technology Western Cape is helping businesses turn their sustainability goals into practical outcomes by using energy-efficient Dell Technologies solutions as well as responsible IT asset lifecycle management.
Through its partnership with Dell’s Client Group Systems (CGS) and Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) offerings, and by working with trusted partners to manage e-waste responsibly, First Technology helps organisations dramatically limit their environmental impact without compromising on performance or security.
Energy efficiency starts with intelligent infrastructure
One of the simplest ways businesses can shrink their carbon footprint is by making their IT environments more energy efficient. That’s something Dell has focused on through its CGS and ISG portfolios. These solutions are designed to use less power, manage heat more effectively and stay useful for longer, so companies reap more value without constantly having to replace equipment.
Dell’s range of modern client devices is an excellent example of this philosophy in practice. They’re built to balance performance with efficiency, which matters in a world where workforces are distributed and working from everywhere. More intelligent processors, built-in power management and durable hardware help cut energy use across vast fleets of devices. At the same time, longer lifecycles translate into fewer refreshes, less e-waste and a more sustainable approach to IT.
In the era of AI PCs, Dell Technologies is carrying this approach forward with its Dell Pro portfolio, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and Windows 11 with Microsoft Copilot. The devices bring advanced AI capabilities together with sustainability-led design, weaving environmental thinking into every stage of the product lifecycle: from how they’re made and packaged to how they’re responsibly recycled at end of life.
Built to meet recognised environmental standards
Dell Pro laptops make use of recycled and renewable materials such as up to 90% recycled magnesium in premium models, recycled ocean-bound plastics, bio-based rubber bumpers and batteries that use up to 50% recycled cobalt or significantly reduced cobalt content. Packaging is made entirely from recycled or renewable materials, and the range meets widely recognised environmental standards, including Energy Star 8.0, TCO Certified and EPEAT Gold with Climate+ designation.
Durability and energy efficiency are built into the Dell Pro design. These are the world’s first commercial PCs to feature modular USB-C ports, making repairs simpler and helping devices last longer. With up to four times better resistance to twisting and stress, they’re designed to stay in service for longer and reduce e-waste. When running AI-enabled workloads, the systems are more energy efficient and run cooler, while still delivering long battery life. Built-in AI engines also power features such as Windows Studio Effects and Copilot in Windows 11.
On the infrastructure side of things, Dell ISG offers solutions that enable data centres and traditional infrastructures to accomplish a lot more while consuming significantly less of everything. High-density servers, storage subsystems and more sophisticated workloads enable businesses to eliminate waste. Over and above this, these tools enable companies to decrease their cooling and energy needs by optimising the use of resources.
First Technology Western Cape works closely with its customers to ensure that these technologies are applied in ways that make sense for the business. Rather than simply selling hardware, the focus is on designing practical solutions that improve efficiency at scale, support clients’ sustainability goals and are made to last.
Tackling e-waste responsibly and compliantly
While energy efficiency addresses the “use” phase of technology, sustainability cannot end when equipment reaches the end of its life. Improper disposal of IT assets is still one of the biggest environmental and compliance issues that businesses must deal with today.
First Technology Western Cape also helps businesses with e-waste management to make sure they remain compliant with South African regulations, including Sars requirements for asset disposal. This is becoming more important as companies are expected to demonstrate clear audit trails, responsible recycling practices and secure data handling throughout the lifecycle of their tech assets.
To support this, First Technology Group has IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) that boasts more than two decades of experience supporting enterprise and OEM clients. Their in-house ITAD services are delivered through secure facilities and controlled processes, ensuring full accountability from collection through to final disposition.
Secure, transparent IT asset disposition
A solid ITAD process sits right at the centre of sustainability and risk management. It involves secure pick-up and movement of the asset through to the use of trusted vehicles and security personnel, as well as the ability to trace the asset in real time. It also provides armed escorts when the asset is of high value. From the point of pick-up, all the assets are tracked.
Upon delivery of the equipment, it is inspected and documented, with detailed reporting that includes information such as the model and condition. This is important because it helps organisations comply and have strong internal controls.
Data security is another area where there’s simply no room for shortcuts. When technology is retired, businesses need complete confidence that sensitive information is gone for good. That’s why data sanitisation and destruction follow well-established international standards such as NIST 800-88, ensuring data is properly and permanently removed before assets move on to their next stage.
Whether data is securely wiped or hardware is physically destroyed, each asset comes with a certificate of data destruction, giving businesses incontrovertible proof that they are fully in line with Popia and global data privacy requirements.
Where it makes sense, equipment isn’t just thrown away. Assets that still have life left in them are carefully tested, graded and refurbished before being resold through vetted channels. This keeps technology in use for longer, which cuts unnecessary waste and helps companies realise value, while still supporting a more circular and sustainable approach to IT. This approach aligns closely with Dell’s circular economy initiatives, including Asset Recovery Services, which support the secure and responsible retirement of legacy IT equipment.
For assets that have no remaining usefulness, processes that are environmentally responsible, recycling and disposal processes are followed. With a zero-to-landfill approach wherever feasible, ethical downstream processing and full environmental compliance reporting, companies can be secure in the knowledge that their e-waste is being handled responsibly.
Certified sustainability you can trust
True sustainability must be backed by the right compliance and certification. For this reason, First Technology Group operates within a strong governance framework and holds R2v3 Responsible Recycling certification, widely viewed as the global benchmark for e-waste management. This is augmented by ISO 9001 that deals with quality management, ISO 45001 to cover occupational health and safety, and alignment with the ISO 14001 environmental management principles.
As a Dell Technologies Asset Recovery Partner, the company’s processes align closely with OEM expectations while still complying with South African environmental legislation, including the National Environmental Management Act and other relevant e-waste regulations.
All ITAD activities are performed in secure facilities with carefully layered physical and systems security so that data and assets are protected at every stage of the process.
Turning sustainability into action
Sustainability in technology takes more than a single initiative. It must be the result of carefully considered decisions that are made across the full IT lifecycle, from procurement and deployment all the way to decommissioning and disposal.
Through a combination of energy-efficient Dell CGS and ISG solutions, Dell Pro AI PCs and secure, compliant e-waste management, First Technology Western Cape helps its customers move beyond talking about sustainability and start putting it into practice.
The result is technology that delivers what the business needs, helps maximise clients’ assets and has a smaller impact on the environment, without cutting corners on security, compliance or performance.
