Exclusive: How Greenbox tackles tech waste with data security focus

Greenbox's Wayne Angus has spent decades in the tech sector, however his heart has always leaned green.

"I've been in the technology game for upwards of 25 years," he explained to TechDay during a recent interview. "I've worked with some of the big vendors like HP and Dell and Lenovo... but underneath my skin, I'm a bit of a greeny, perhaps a bit of a hippie."

Now Country Manager for Greenbox in New Zealand, Angus oversees the company's local operations for IT asset disposal - a role that balances the demands of data security with the urgency of environmental sustainability.

Greenbox operates eight branches across Australasia, with a mission to prevent e-waste from mounting in landfills. "We employ about 250 people across the eastern seaboard in Australia, and we've got four branches in New Zealand," he said. "Our role in life is to make sure those mountains of e-waste don't continue to grow."

At the centre of Greenbox's work is a three-part process known as the three Rs: reuse, refurbish and recycle. But the starting point, Angus emphasised, is data.

"I've heard some horror stories of information ending up on blogs on the other side of the world," he said. "The first part of our operation is making sure we cleanse the data from all of those devices."

Once that's done, the goal is to extend the lifespan of as many devices as possible.

"If you imagine a high-end corporate laptop after three years or so of use, it's still got life," Angus said. "Students, school kids, even some businesspeople will continue to use those for many more years."

For those machines that can't be reused as-is, Greenbox steps in as an OEM vendor-certified refurbisher.

"We have the ability to take damaged laptops and fix them up and make them like new again," he explained. "If it needs some specialist care, we've got certified people who know how to do that."

Devices that are beyond saving are then ethically recycled - down to the last keyboard or mouse.

"We're an R2v3 certified carbon neutral company," Angus said. "All of our eight branches are certified, and I think we're the only one in Australasia."

Greenbox doesn't draw the line at laptops. Even ancillary tech items like stands, cables and mice are stripped down and sent to appropriate recyclers. "I've heard of plastic off keyboards ending up as part of bitumen for a road," he said.

This work is becoming even more urgent with looming changes in the tech landscape. Microsoft's planned end of support for Windows 10 later this year is a major concern.

"Support for Windows 10 is going to discontinue... that has a massive impact for businesses," Angus said. "Corporates really do need to get onto the wagon and make sure they have a plan to migrate to Windows 11."

By some estimates, as many as 240 million devices could be affected.

On a broader scale, Angus pointed to the staggering volume of e-waste being generated: "In Australia and New Zealand, around 600,000 tonnes of e-waste goes into landfill every year. Still."

The environmental cost of making new devices is just as sobering.

"A laptop takes something like 450 kilos of carbon to produce," he said. "By reusing, you're saving all that going into the atmosphere."

Angus encourages consumers to use drop-off points or mailing services offered by retailers and recycling services like Greenbox.

"Please don't throw it away. Don't store it either," he said. "Especially with lithium-ion batteries that might catch fire."

Central to the Greenbox philosophy is the circular economy - keeping materials in use for as long as possible. Angus explained how even discarded laptops can come full circle.

"Motherboards have tiny pieces of gold on them... the Royal Mint is using extracted and recycled gold for some of its gold production now," he said. "That laptop you've discarded might become a ring you put on your finger one day."

But alongside environmental responsibility is the equally critical issue of data protection.

"There's some very clever, unsavoury people out there," Angus warned. "They can get into your bank account because your password's on a little note on the back of your phone."

Even personal photos, emails or login details can be enough to cause havoc through identity theft or scams. "It's why it's so critical to make sure that data is gone - all that personal information is off there - before you dispose of your device."

For businesses, the risks of mishandling sensitive information can be far more devastating.

"If you had company confidential information... or a database of people's personal details, and that got out into the marketplace - it could destroy a corporate," he said.

His message to decision-makers is clear: work with professionals. "Deal with a company that knows exactly what they're doing when it comes to making sure your data is gone," Angus said.

Greenbox offers full transparency, from data erasure to material recovery. "We're carbon neutral because of our processes. We don't offset anything," he said.

That matters more than ever, with large corporations increasingly expected to report on sustainability and ESG performance.

"The term greenwashing has been floating around for a long time, and there's still a lot of that that goes on," he said. "Unless a company is externally certified and audited, you can't know if what they're claiming is true."

As the conversation wound down, Angus reflected on the mindset shift he hopes to encourage - not just among corporates, but in households too.

"Have you got a bunch of old phones sitting around in your house somewhere that you don't know what to do with?" he asked.

"Do a bit of research. It'll make you feel better about what you're actually doing with those old devices."