ASUS upholds Extended Producer Responsibility through providing free-recycling service in countries where sales are accounted for 70% of the global market. Extending the spirit of responsibility, ASUS promotes “Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program” that refurbishes the discarded computers regardless of brands back to workable condition and then donates them to underprivileged minorities. Not only could it reduce the environmental impact, but also extend the computer lifecycle and improve the resource efficiency by leveraging the recycling service to the maximum value.
( English provided by company. )
With the rapid changes in technology, people desire for the new equipment; discarded end-of-life electrical and electronic devices are the world’s fastest growing waste stream. It not just presents significant risks to the environment, but also the inefficiency of resource usage. In addition, we notice the social problem caused by Digital Divide.
According to the guidelines for digital inclusion published by UNESCO, “In an increasingly digitalized world, people need digital skills and literacy to work, live, learn and communicate productively”. In a digitalized world, people without these skills will face marginalization and become underprivileged groups not only in the digital areas but also in the society as well.
Besides donating the refurbished computers, we also develop educational software and gain support from volunteers to teach digital skills to help to improve the lives of children in rural areas, poor young students, women, and elders. It was estimated that over 550,000 people have been benefited from the program.
We believe that enterprises wish to achieve circular economy should follow the performances that are measurable to ensure ongoing success and transformational improvement. In 2018, ASUS participated in the UL 3600 circularity fact program to follow the circularity of the program by using a quantitative method ASUS then became the world’s first company to receive circularity validation. In addition, ASUS published the first verified social returned on investment (SROI) report in Taiwan, which showed each dollar invested has generated 3.61 times social value. In 2018, the SROI has reached 5.34 throughoptimizing the program. It means the program make positive change to the society. We expect to enhance digital inclusion through circular economy, and to help underprivileged minorities to improve their digital skills and share with them the benefit of ICT development.
Benefits
- By 2018, we have recycled over 400,000 discarded electronic devices, donated over 20,000 computers and built up over 500 digital classrooms in 38 countries.