Advancements in technology have come with an unfortunate side effect not often talked about. As we marvel at the possibilities at our fingertips, we too often ignore the growing pile of e-waste waiting in the wings. The paperless office was the dream of the late 20th century; the concept of the plasticless office hasn’t caught on in the same way.

But a dedicated and growing chorus of e-waste crusaders is steadily working to bring about a new kind of change. And while the impact of that change may not be truly appreciated for years to come, the changemakers are being recognized today.

Australian IT asset disposition (ITAD) firm Renew IT has become a trusted force for environmental improvement around the world. Its efforts are already having an environmentally positive impact, and now, they’ve earned Founder and CEO James Lancaster the Runner-Up accolade at The CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year Awards 2025 in the Information Technology and Telecommunications category.

“We’re creating real change with our innovations,” Lancaster tells The CEO Magazine. “We’re working with global customers who, historically, have contributed to the e-waste problem by sending it all to the landfill. Now, they’re seeing what we can do and are engaging with us.”

Technology-first leaders

What Renew IT can do, and has done for almost two decades, includes e-waste recycling, data erasure, deinstallation, asset tagging, collections and asset buybacks. Renew IT manages IT asset life cycles and ensures environmentally sound disposal, as well as digital transformation via its proprietary ITAD ecosystem that’s intelligent, scalable and secure.

“Our clients have hundreds of thousands of peripherals, mice, keyboards, headsets, stuff that would normally end up in landfill, and we’ve been able to convert it into filament for 3D printing, for instance,” he says.

“It creates a lot of excitement not only for us but for our customers and their employees. They’re a part of something that really is making a difference.”

It’s a difference that isn’t purely environmental. An effective ITAD ecosystem streamlines a company’s operations in several ways, from powering data-driven decision-making to seamless global operations and measurable sustainability outcomes.

Lancaster has made a point to position Renew IT as a technology-first global ITAD leader by including automation, integration and transparency across the entire asset life cycle, whether collection and data erasure to remarketing, recycling and reporting.

“Our core business is managing the life cycle of an IT asset and making sure that IT asset itself doesn’t end up in landfill,” he says. “But the byproduct of what we do ends up leading into other areas of waste problems customers have, and so we’re solving those other problems for them as well.”

In fact, even Renew IT’s core objectives have changed over time as the purpose and extent of ITAD have evolved. The business offers improved operational efficiency and scalability through the simplification of internal systems, an enhanced customer experience through real-time reporting, self-service portals and seamless integrations, measurable ESG outcomes for clients through digital dashboards featuring sustainability metrics and waste analysis reports.

Additionally, futureproofed security and compliance is available for clients, thanks to Renew IT’s robust cloud-based platforms and endpoint controls.

“We never set out to do that,” Lancaster says. “This was more born out of a responsibility to do something to help make change rather than a potential revenue stream.”

Plastic-free boom

And that kind of change has never been needed more than right now. According to the United Nations’ Global E-Waste Monitor, a record 62 million metric tons of e-waste was produced in 2022; this is on track to rise to 82 million metric tons in 2030. That Renew IT’s noble cause has so many beneficial side effects for businesses suggests that this is the right path to follow in such wasteful times.

“I think for me, it’s that we’re not just using carbon credits or planting trees and continuing to behave badly,” he says. “We’re making a tangible difference to the environment.”

One of the most innovative fates discarded hard plastic can face has been made possible by Renew IT and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove. There, Renew IT’s warehouse is home to UNSW SMaRT Centre’s Plastics Filament MICROfactorie™, a commercially-run recycling initiative that repurposes plastic e-waste into 3D printer feedstock. As 3D printing has become more popular and widespread, print-ready filament’s stock has soared.

The MICROfactorie is an ideal way to satisfy two needs at once, all without undermining the greater plastic recycling effort.

“We’re turning the hard plastics found in all modern electronic hardware but not subject to conventional recycling methods into feedstock for a booming sector,” UNSW SMaRT Centre Founder and Director Professor Veena Sahajwalla said in 2024.

“Filament is almost entirely imported to Australia and made from petrochemicals, so being able to locally make it from used plastics also reduces the environmental impacts from global freight.”

This was just one of the successful divergents Renew IT – and its clients – has delved into over the past 12 months. Other milestones include cybersecurity reinforcement, greater ESG reporting, enhanced enterprise resource planning and systems integration and cloud-first workplace transformation. All stem from the company’s commitment to constant innovation, which is crucial to staying at the top of the sector.

“The biggest thing at the moment is AI and how it affects our business,” Lancaster says. “One way we’ve identified we can benefit from the emergence of AI is by supporting our data center clients with the removal of old GPUs, for instance.”

Best of the best

Lancaster’s runner-up win for Information Technology and Telecommunications Executive of the Year is the latest in a long line of accolades Renew IT has enjoyed. The company and its leader have been honored by the Telstra Best of Business Awards and EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards over the past few years, but Lancaster says the business has earned these entirely on its own merits.

“I think for a lot of founders, it’s a challenge to understand how to take a step back and allow the business to grow, to not try to be on top of everything and control every aspect,” he says.

“Most founders want to leave their DNA in their business, but don’t understand how to do that. At some point, you’ve got to let the baby grow.”

Lancaster has achieved this for Renew IT by filling its ranks with the best of the best.

“The key for me has been to get half a dozen people around you who are smarter, more talented and have got the various skills required to run a company, from operations to sales to accounts,” he says.

“You have to make sure you’ve got the right people running each of those towers you need to run a successful business, and what you’ll find is that a lot of the time, the noise doesn’t even reach you because these people are making sure they’re dealing with it.”

Bringing about significant change may be a team effort, but it starts with one person. Lancaster says it can be tough to get the ball rolling, but it’s always worth it.

“It is going to be lonely. It is going to be challenging. You’ll think at times, what am I doing? Is this the right decision? But if you’re on the right side of history, if you’re coming up with something that will benefit people in the end and you can see what the end point looks like, stay with it,” he says.

“Be persistent and eventually, people will buy in if it’s the right idea. But don’t be afraid to create change.”