Lenovo is using product-level carbon data to make the case for buying refurbished computers, arguing that some certified models can have about half the footprint of their new equivalents. The company’s calculations are intended to give corporate buyers a way to weigh emissions alongside price when choosing equipment.
The figures have been independently assured by Anthesis Group under ISO 14067, the international standard for quantifying and reporting the carbon footprint of p...
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roducts. The standard sets out a life-cycle approach, but its use does not by itself validate a particular product’s results. Lenovo’s reported savings therefore depend on its own assessment and the assumptions used in the calculations.
The company launched its Certified Refurbished programme in March 2024 and added carbon assessments that July, beginning with more than 100 ThinkPad notebook models. James Pennington, Lenovo’s director of global sustainability services, said procurement teams were increasingly seeking emissions data for both new and second-hand devices when comparing bids for large contracts.
“We wanted to have the same depth of data on the carbon side of the ledger as we did on the cost side,” he said.
Lenovo based its approach on the Global Circularity Protocol, developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the One Planet Network, which is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. The framework is designed to help organisations measure and report circularity across products, materials and businesses; it is not a verification of Lenovo’s specific results.
For refurbished computers, the assessment takes account of transport from collection to refurbishment, inspection and repair, data sanitisation, quality checks and replacement parts. It also estimates emissions from the device’s use, including the electricity grid in the region where it is expected to operate.
In one modelled example, Lenovo estimated that replacing 30 per cent of a consulting firm’s notebook fleet with certified refurbished machines would reduce IT spending by 8 per cent and IT-related emissions by 15 per cent. Those figures are projections produced by Lenovo, not measured outcomes from a customer deployment.
The company says its refurbished devices undergo secure data wiping, cleaning, inspection and functional testing, with components replaced if they fail acceptance standards. Lenovo also says the machines come with a one-year device and battery warranty, with additional on-site support available.
The programme sits within a wider effort to keep IT equipment in use for longer. TechRadar reported at its launch that Lenovo’s refurbished offering was aimed at extending hardware life, reducing electronic waste and giving businesses a lower-cost alternative to new equipment. The potential environmental benefit, however, will vary according to the condition of each device, the work needed to refurbish it and how long it remains in use.
Lenovo plans to update its methodology annually to reflect revised emissions factors and recalculate each product’s footprint every year. It also expects to publish further scores quarterly as more products are added. The company says the data can help procurement and sustainability teams compare options and document purchasing decisions, but the usefulness of those comparisons will depend on consistent assumptions and clear reporting.
Lenovo is also a major force in the new-computer market. Gartner reported that it shipped about 73.6 million PCs in 2025, giving it a 27.2 per cent share of worldwide unit shipments. That figure concerns the broader PC market and does not establish Lenovo’s share of refurbished sales.
Source: Noah Wire Services
