Public bodies to be allowed buy remanufactured laptops

Public bodies are to be allowed to purchase remanufactured laptops as part of a new framework launched by the Office of Government Procurement.

Up to now, previous Government rules advised that public bodies should always buy new products.

The permitted devices will be “remanufactured” as opposed to “refurbished”.

Remanufacturing is the process of returning a used product to at least its original performance with a warranty that is equivalent or better than that of a newly manufactured product.

The laptops are subject to rigorous manufacturing and testing standards, and devices supplied under the new framework come with up to three years of warranty.

The contract for the new arrangement has been awarded to Green IT, an Irish SME who tendered as the lead entity in consortium with Circular Computing, a UK based company specialising in the remanufacturing of enterprise grade laptops.

The contract has an estimated value of up to €30 million and the Government said it fully supports its circular economy objectives.

“The National Development Plan outlined our ambitions to transition to a low-carbon society and this framework supports this,” Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe said.

“This is the first such framework to be established by a central purchasing body in the EU and offers significant environmental benefits, including carbon reduction and resource and water savings as well as value for money,” Mr Donohoe said.

Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and Circular Economy Ossian Smyth welcomed the new arrangement.

“The public sector now has a way to buy remanufactured laptops from a trusted source, saving money and avoiding waste,” Mr Smyth said.

The cost of a remanufactured notebook is, on average, 30% lower than the newly manufactured equivalent.