From E-Waste to ESG: Why IT Asset Lifecycle Management Is Now a Boardroom Priority

IT Lifecycle Management is a systematic approach to overseeing and managing the entire lifecycle of technology assets that support an organisation’s business needs—from procurement and deployment to maintenance, retirement, and secure disposal. It ensures that every step in the journey of an IT asset is tracked, optimised, and aligned with business goals. Enterprises increasingly recognise that beyond managing hardware and compliance, ITALM also strengthens data security, ensures compliance, reduces costs, and advances sustainability objectives.

Sustainability and Compliance as Core Drivers

Organisations are moving away from treating IT Asset Disposition as a one-time, end-of-life activity. Instead, they are embedding IT Asset Lifecycle Management (ITALM) into broader digital transformation and sustainability strategies. Sustainability has become a key factor in selecting ITAD vendors, with businesses preferring partners that align with ESG goals—covering environmental compliance, responsible recycling, and circular economy practices.

A MarketsandMarkets report projects that the global ITAD market will grow from USD 18.4 billion in 2024 to USD 26.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.6%, driven by regulation, circular economy needs, and rising environmental and data-risk management demands.

Data protection is another major area of impact. With global data privacy regulations tightening, enterprises must prove secure data handling throughout every device’s lifecycle. Many now favour ITAD partners that guarantee auditable data sanitisation and full chain-of-custody—reducing reputational and legal risks while ensuring compliance.

Lifecycle visibility also enables smarter financial decisions. Though savings data remains fluid, organisations are already defining refresh cycles better, extending usable asset life, and reclaiming residual value through resale or certified recycling. These measures cut total ownership costs and support sustainable procurement objectives—an increasingly critical benchmark for enterprise performance.

Turning ITALM into a Boardroom Priority

Sustainability remains one of ITALM’s most urgent priorities. According to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2024, global e-waste collection and recycling rates are expected to decline from 22.3% in 2022 to just 20% by 2030. This widening gap underscores a disconnect between technology consumption and responsible disposal—one that ITALM can help bridge.

Real-world lapses reveal the high cost of poor IT asset management. A federal audit found that a major regulatory agency had lost or unaccounted devices, poorly defined contracts, delayed data sanitisation, and years of unused inventory—all symptoms of a missing ITALM framework. Such failures extend beyond data security, resulting in compliance risks, operational inefficiencies, and financial waste.

Conversely, enterprises partnering with ITAD vendors offering ESG-aligned capabilities—like carbon-footprint tracking, chain-of-custody reporting, and circular recycling—gain the ability to measure Scope 3 emissions and meet climate commitments. As ESG mandates grow globally, such accountability is no longer optional.

To unlock ITALM’s full value, organisations must select certified vendors (e.g., ISO 27001, R2v3, e-Stewards) that provide secure logistics, detailed audit trails, and quantifiable reporting on environmental and financial impact—such as total CO₂ saved or asset value recovered. These metrics are vital to align IT operations with both sustainability and CFO priorities.

As enterprise infrastructures become more complex and distributed, disciplined asset management is no longer optional—it is strategic. ITALM brings structure, visibility, and control, elevating ITAD from a back-office function to a boardroom conversation involving CIOs, CISOs, procurement leaders, and ESG heads.

When enterprises manage IT assets as long-term lifecycle capital instead of consumables, the returns extend beyond operational efficiency—to resilience, trust, and sustained business value.

By Xavier Surentherathas, Regional VP, Sales, Park Place Technologies

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of CyberMedia or its affiliates.)