The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to roll out refurbished and remanufactured laptops, phones and tablets across the department as part of a new end user services contract aimed at cutting carbon, reducing waste and lowering costs.
Defra said it is the first central government department to adopt refurbished and remanufactured laptops at scale, with 90% of its end-user devices set to be reused, refurbished or remanufactured over the five-year life of the contract.
The agreement, delivered with Atos and its partners, will cover technology provision for more than 30,000 staff across the Defra group, which collectively uses around 72,000 devices.
Defra estimates the shift away from buying new hardware will reduce carbon emissions associated with its devices by 44% compared with purchasing new equipment. It also expects to avoid the extraction of around 51,000 tonnes of raw materials and save an estimated 12,000 megalitres of water over the life of the contract.
Refurbished devices (typically restored cosmetically and tested to ensure functionality) and remanufactured devices (rebuilt to manufacturer specifications using a mix of old and new components) can deliver cost savings of up to 40%, according to the department. The financial savings will be reinvested into frontline services and digital innovation.
The contract embeds sustainability and social value throughout its commercial structure, with a 20% weighting applied in the procurement process - double the standard 10% used in many government competitions.
Defra has also introduced new Experience Level Agreements, designed to tie supplier performance more closely to user satisfaction and service responsiveness, alongside environmental targets.
Under the new model, devices will no longer be replaced on a fixed timetable. Instead, Defra will monitor performance data to determine when equipment genuinely needs replacing or repairing, extending the life of hardware and reducing unnecessary upgrades.
A role-based allocation approach will also ensure staff receive devices aligned to their operational needs, limiting excess equipment in circulation.
The department has relocated its logistics hub and expanded the use of smart lockers for device collection and return, a move expected to cut delivery-related CO2 emissions by more than 30%.