Lenovo Leads the Circular IT Shift with a New Chapter to Extend Lifecycles for Aging Tech

Lenovo today introduced Lenovo Certified Refurbishment Services, a new addition to its IT sustainability and lifecycle solutions portfolio, available in EMEA. The service gives organizations the ability to refurbish their existing Lenovo devices, restoring useful life and enabling redeployment to deliver cost savings, maximize IT budgets and reduce e-waste.

Most businesses still follow a binary model for their device lifecycle and refresh strategies: extend the warranty or buy new. However, Lenovo’s Certified Refurbishment Services introduce a powerful third option, refurbishing existing Lenovo devices to be reused or repurposed internally, to avoid premature retirements, balance IT refresh programs and help maximize investment.

With IT budgets under pressure and sustainability goals rising to the top of corporate agendas, businesses across Europe are seeking smarter ways to extend device value while reducing environmental impact. Lenovo’s new Certified Refurbishment Services fulfill that need, enabling organizations to refurbish and redeploy existing Lenovo devices with OEM-certified quality, renewed warranties, and lower carbon cost.

Now available in 14 European markets*, the solution offers a powerful IT lifecycle management option, bridging the gap between extending warranties and full hardware replacement. By restoring devices for internal reuse, businesses can unlock untapped value from their existing tech and avoid premature retirements.

Ahead of the EU’s planned Circular Economy Act, Lenovo is also helping organizations align refresh strategies with circular economy principles. In addition, Certified Refurbishment Services support the meeting of targets including the EU Green Deal – which aims to cut emissions by at least 50% by 2030 – and the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, mandating ESG disclosures by businesses. [1]

“European organisations are looking for practical ways to meet sustainability targets without slowing innovation or increasing costs,” said Greg Smith, Executive Director and General Manager, EMEA Solutions and Services Group at Lenovo. “As EU mandates require organisations to rethink their technology strategies, Certified Refurbishment Services help reduce IT carbon footprint, optimise resources, and meet sustainable procurement goals while building long-term value and resilience along the way.”

Maximize IT Budgets with Smarter Refurbishment Strategies

Created to ease IT budget demands while delivering high-performance technology, Lenovo Certified Refurbishment Services provide a smarter way to manage device refresh cycles by refurbishing fully functional devices and redeploying them where they’re needed most. As part of this approach, devices can also be easily upgraded with additional RAM (Random Access Memory), allowing businesses to boost performance without replacing hardware.

This approach helps businesses maximize return on existing investments, reduce total cost of ownership, and ease procurement pressure by balancing new and refurbished devices across the fleet. New purchases can be prioritized for high-performance users or emerging technologies such as AI PCs, while refurbished units continue to deliver reliable performance for everyday roles.

At the same time, this flexibility allows organizations to respond quickly to changing workforce needs by upgrading performance or reconfiguring devices without buying new hardware. It also allows used assets to be redeployed after staff departures as ‘good-as-new’ devices, supported by industry-standard data wipes and full cosmetic refurbishment. This means the device will look, perform, and be supported just like a new one.

The result is a more cost-efficient, flexible, and sustainable IT strategy that keeps teams productive and budgets under control.

Reduce Carbon Footprint and Promote Device Circularity

Alongside the pressure to modernize, organizations need to meet their ESG commitments with upcoming sustainability goals. In the region, regulatory momentum is accelerating the shift toward circular IT practices. Research from Lenovo shows that 96% of IT decision makers in EMEA consider environmental impact when making decisions about future AI usage. [2]

Extending the life of electronics offers a powerful solution and extending the use of electronics by just 30% can reduce annual emissions by up to 20% [3]. Lenovo Certified Refurbishment Services give existing Lenovo devices a second life, helping organizations lower the environmental impact of their refresh cycles.

“The European Commission estimates it could save up to 231 million tonnes of CO₂ from heavy industry each year through improved materials management and reduction, reuse and recovery measures,” added James Pennington, Director of Global Sustainability Services at Lenovo. “Lenovo’s Certified Refurbishment Services support these goals by reducing waste and increasing sustainability while keeping performance and productivity at their peak.” [4]

OEM Quality Teams Can Trust

Certified Refurbishment Services offer three service levels: a light refresh, replacement of minor parts, and full refurbishment, all managed via the Lenovo Service Connect Portal. This gives organizations peace of mind with complete visibility and control from start to finish. Predefined refurbishment levels also provide clarity around cost, scope, and expected outcomes, helping IT teams make informed decisions quickly and confidently.

Regardless of the service level chosen, every Lenovo device is refurbished using genuine components, tested for reliability, and returned to professional standards for enterprise-grade performance with full OEM assurance. Each refurbishment includes:

• Safeguarded data sanitization (NIST SP 800-88 compliant)
• Comprehensive functionality testing (35+ quality checks)
• Battery and component replacement (as needed)
• Cosmetic refurbishment and deep cleaning
• Backed by warranty and built in-accountability: Renewed Lenovo warranty (one-year depot and sealed battery warranty, with options for Premier Support and memory upgrades)

“Lenovo has spent more than 35 years pushing the boundaries of engineering to deliver technology that’s smarter, more sustainable, and built to last,” said John Stamer, Vice President and General Manager, GPS and Sustainability Services, Lenovo. “Our commitment to responsible innovation means that 71% of the devices we collect are reused or refurbished, extending their life and reducing environmental impact of new devices. That experience is exactly why we know our new Certified Refurbishment Services will deliver exceptional quality and reliability to EMEA businesses while helping advance their sustainability goals. This reflects Lenovo’s vision of empowering long-term IT value for businesses, their people, and the planet.” [5] [6]

Smarter refresh starts here.

Learn more about how Lenovo Certified Refurbishment Services can help your business extend device lifecycles, reduce costs, and make measurable progress toward sustainability goals here.

*Lenovo Certified Refurbishment Services available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$69 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #196 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Sources

[1] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

[2] https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/datacenter-of-the-future-emea-research/

[3] Circularity, Measuring Circular Impact - An assessment of the consumer electronics industry, April 2025

[4] https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/circular-economy-could-slash-231-million-tonnes-co2-heavy-industry-year-2025-10-03_en

[5] Lenovo Internal Source, 2024

[6] https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/platinum-medal-ecovadis-top-rated-globally/

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