Why B Corp Matters in IT Asset Disposition

Why sustainability claims need independent verification

Sustainability reporting has evolved.

Customers, investors, employees, and regulators all expect greater transparency. Organisations are expected to show progress, not simply talk about intentions.

That expectation extends throughout the supply chain.

When selecting an ITAD provider, businesses are not only trusting a partner with retired technology and sensitive data. They are also choosing an organisation that contributes to wider sustainability goals.

Independent certification gives organisations a way to validate those claims.

Rather than relying solely on marketing messages, they can see that performance has been assessed, reviewed, and verified by an external body.

How B Corp certification measures business impact

B Corp certification is awarded by B Lab to organisations that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Unlike many certifications that focus on a single area, B Corp evaluates how a company operates as a whole.

In September 2023, CTG Circular BV, operating as Circular IT group in Belgium, achieved B Corp certification with a verified B Impact Score of 84.6. The score measures a company’s impact across Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers, and exceeded both the certification threshold of 80 and the median score of 50.9 achieved by businesses completing the assessment.

For customers, this provides independent verification that environmental, social, and governance considerations are embedded throughout the business, helping support ESG reporting, responsible procurement requirements, and sustainability goals across the supply chain.

In practice, this means customers can demonstrate that they are working with a supplier whose environmental and social performance has been independently assessed.

Why reuse creates more value than recycling

Recycling plays an important role in responsible IT disposal. However, it should not be the starting point.

The greatest environmental benefit often comes from extending the life of technology through reuse, refurbishment, and redeployment.

Every device that remains in use reduces demand for new manufacturing, preserves valuable resources, and helps reduce electronic waste.

This thinking shapes how Circular IT group approaches ITAD.

Before a device reaches the recycling stage, it is assessed for refurbishment, remarketing, redeployment, or donation. The aim is straightforward: recover maximum value while extending the useful life of every device.

This focus on extending product lifecycles also aligns closely with the standards assessed through B Corp certification. Rather than measuring environmental impact in isolation, B Corp evaluates how businesses embed responsible practices into everyday operations, including how resources are managed and waste is reduced.

Because the most sustainable device is often the one that already exists.

Strengthening the circular economy in Europe is key – and we are proud to play our role, together with our partners. – Didier Appels, Managing Director for Circular IT group in Belgium

 

How our Kontich facility fuels the circular economy

Our Belgian operation brings this approach to life. Located in Kontich, Belgium, the 5,500 m² facility serves as a centre for ITAD, refurbishment, lifecycle management, and circular IT services. The site has the capacity to process up to 300,000 IT assets annually.

Every device entering the facility follows a documented process that includes asset registration, secure transport, certified data erasure, testing, refurbishment, reuse, donation, or responsible recycling. As part of this process, data is securely removed using Blancco-certified software and internationally recognised standards, with asset-level reporting, audit trails, and certificates provided to support compliance and governance requirements.

For B Corp-certified businesses, these processes matter because environmental performance, accountability, and operational transparency are assessed as part of the certification process.

This process helps customers combine security, compliance, and sustainability within a single ITAD programme.

It also shows how circular IT can work in practice, even across large volumes of equipment.

How refurbished technology creates social impact

Environmental benefits are only part of the circular economy story. Technology can also open doors to education, employment, and digital participation.

For more than two decades, the Belgian team has worked with organisations including Close the Gap and Digital for Youth to help improve access to technology.

Through these partnerships, retired devices can be securely processed, refurbished, and prepared for digital inclusion programmes.

More than 28,000+ devices have already been delivered through Digital for Youth initiatives, helping young people access the technology needed for education, learning, and future employment opportunities.

Social impact is also a key part of B Corp certification. By extending the life of technology through donation and digital inclusion programmes, retired IT assets can create value beyond environmental outcomes alone.

It gives retired IT assets a purpose beyond their original use, one that benefits communities and the environment.

How B Corp values shape Circular IT group

Today, B Corp certification applies specifically to our Belgian operation.

However, the values that contributed to certification are reflected throughout Circular IT group.

Across our locations in the UK, Netherlands and Denmark, teams work to extend the life of technology, maximise reuse, reduce waste, support communities, and deliver transparent IT lifecycle services.

Accountability, employee well-being, social impact, and environmental responsibility continue to shape how teams work across the group.

While certification currently applies to our Belgian operation, the principles that contributed to certification help shape how projects are delivered across Circular IT group.

This creates greater consistency in how environmental responsibility, social impact, accountability, and circularity are approached throughout the organisation.

What independent verification means for ITAD customers

Choosing an ITAD provider involves more than secure collection and data destruction. Organisations want partners that strengthen ESG reporting, support circular economy goals, and align with responsible procurement policies.

Independent verification helps show that these commitments are backed by evidence, including documented policies, operational procedures, environmental performance data, employee well-being initiatives, and customer reporting such as reuse rates, carbon avoidance figures, and donation outcomes.

For organisations with ESG targets, sustainability commitments, or responsible procurement requirements, working with a B Corp-certified ITAD provider offers additional assurance that environmental and social performance is measured, reviewed, and continuously improved.

For customers, this means working with a provider whose approach to governance, environmental performance, employee wellbeing, and social impact has been assessed against recognised standards.

Sustainability claims are easy to make; proving them is what earns trust.