GreenBox Group, an e-waste management company, has announced the acquisition of RemarkIT, an IT waste and managed/professional services company. This merger, scrutinised within the context of New Zealand being the only Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country lacking an e-waste policy, signifies a significant leap towards enhancing the nation's handling of electronic waste.

The problematic issue of e-waste has been a topic of hot debate in recent times, particularly given that approximately 15% of a company's climate emissions derive from its ICT equipment. The production of an example item, such as a new smartphone, generates an alarming 84kg of CO2, requires 83,000 litres of water and utilises 265kg of raw materials. Meanwhile, the process of refurbishing a smartphone substantially diminishes the environmental impact by reducing the CO2 footprint by 92%, water requirement by 91%, and raw materials requirement by 86%. This aligns with practices adopted by progressive European countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands where it's legislated that up to 50% of all ICT equipment in government tenders should be refurbished.

Both GreenBox and RemarkIT, which were established in 2000, are recognised for their pioneering work in the circular economy of technology assets, covering data centre equipment, laptops, audiovisual equipment, and smart devices. GreenBox, which has operated in New Zealand for the past five years, is credited with preventing 73,378 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and 121 tonnes of noxious elements from being disposed of in landfills since its inception.

The integration expands GreenBox's footprint in New Zealand by including the established operations of RemarkIT, a market leader in the sustainable life cycle management of technology assets. It also amplifies their reach in Auckland, Wellington (Upper Hutt), and Christchurch. The merger efficiently quadruples the workforce.

RemarkIT’s talented team of over 60 technology specialists will blend into the GreenBox collective, swelling their number to more than 100 and boosting the company's potential to deliver comprehensive IT asset lifecycle management services. RemarkIT’s vast experience in deployments, including successfully finalising one of New Zealand's largest end-user rollouts involving a 17,000-unit deployment across the country in just three weeks, further consolidates its credentials.

Additionally, RemarkIT's not-for-profit arm, Digital Wings Trust, prioritises the dual objectives of waste reduction and furnishing technology access to youth. This further illustrates the common principles and goals shared by the two companies in their collective endeavour to challenge and modify New Zealand's e-waste management policies.