Sustainability criteria for workplace ICT hardware

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy embedded ambitious sustainability and circularity goals into five ICT tenders covering laptops, monitors, mobile devices, and accessories. Known as ICT Werkomgeving Rijk (IWR) 2021, the contracts prioritised CO₂ reduction, e-waste compensation, raw material reuse, and product-as-a-service models. Centralised contract management ensures compliance with sustainability criteria, while market consultation secured supplier engagement. In the first year, over 13 500 e-waste neutral devices were procured, avoiding 46 tonnes of CO₂, preventing 4 400 kg of e-waste, and recovering valuable raw materials.