5 Sustainable Solutions for Your Out-of-Use Server

At PivIT, we’re big fans of extending the lifecycle of IT equipment with reliable maintenance and good care. 

However, sometimes, upgrades are inevitable, which means saying goodbye to pretty much-functioning servers and other equipment. 

You may need to upgrade because of technological or business reasons. While you move to faster, better servers, figuring out what to do with the old, out-of-use server can be challenging. 

It’s important to understand that taking a sustainable route to dispose of an old server is important. E-waste is a big problem contributing to greenhouse gas emissions causing catastrophic climate change. According to the United Nations, only about 20 percent of e-waste is recycled.

Data: source

Clearly, IT companies and consumers need to up their recycling game and ensure that less equipment ends up in landfills. 

In this article, we will discuss the following:

• How to sustainably dispose of an out-of-use server that is still functioning.
• What solutions are available to do so.
• How to think green.

Not the article you were looking for today? Try these out:

• How to Resolve Logistics Challenges With Network Equipment Procurement
• 5 Reasons to Consider a Third-Party Maintenance Provider in 2023
• When Traditional VARs Fall Short, Pivit Has the Hardware You Need

Five Solutions for Out-of-Service Servers

Whether you’re upgrading for performance improvements or simply because the server has reached its end of service life (EOSL), there are ways you can ensure that this server doesn’t end up in a landfill, damaging the already frail ecosystem. 

Extend Use With Virtualization

One solution that can help extend your infrastructure capacity and your server's life a bit more is to adopt virtualization if you’re not already doing it. 

Adding a hypervisor to your server allows you to take advantage of the computing and memory resources of the server efficiently. 

You can still upgrade and add new servers to your infrastructure. However, with the help of virtualization, you can still keep your old server functioning well. It can serve as an extra resource or backup. 

Server virtualization is commonplace today, with as many as 92 percent of businesses adopting it, according to research. Using software to create virtual servers over physical ones optimizes performance, increases flexibility, and gives more control. 

There are many solutions for virtual servers on the market. 

Do your research, complete a cost analysis, and decide if you can use your out-of-use server again. It will help delay the disposal of the server and make the server useful even beyond its service life. Sometimes, it may be more costly to dispose of the server than to virtualize it and keep it running. 

Repurpose It for Testing

Another way to make your out-of-use server useful again and extend its life is to repurpose it for development and testing. Even if you’re not developing in-house solutions, having a spare server on-premise can allow you to test security or capacity management. 

Rather than running the tests on your key infrastructure, you can first run them on a used server. It just makes things easier, with fewer disruptions caused to your network. 

Keeping an old server on-premise for development also allows for more innovation. Developers and testers can test new ideas on these servers without using up precious resources of the network busy serving business purposes. 

Similarly, old, still functional servers can be used as backups at other offices/locations. Of course, that may be costly if your branch office is located far away. 

Sell It to a Third Party

The best solution, which is also profitable, is to sell the used server to another party. You’ve heard the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” The legacy server you no longer want may be what another business desperately needs. 

If the server is in working condition, you can find a buyer. 

But it’s not the same as selling a used laptop on a marketplace, so you may need professional help. Also, you have to consider the logistics. Selling it locally is best; delivering it without either party bearing high logistics expenses is easier. 

That said, only some companies have the time or resources to hunt buyers for legacy equipment, which is where organizations like PivIT come in. PivIT’s Buyback Program involves purchasing used server and storage equipment for credit, which is tested, refurbished, and certified before being sold to another party. 

Your old server gets a new lease on life, avoiding ending up in landfills. At the same time, you can use the credit to purchase new IT equipment, adding to your capital expenditure (CapEX) and improving your infrastructure with the latest models. It’s a win-win solution for all parties involved!

Donate to a Non-Profit or Charity

If you don’t want to sell the out-of-use server, consider donating it to a non-profit. A charity organization can use the server for its computing, and networking needs so long as it keeps functioning. 

That’s yet another way to extend the life of the server beyond its official EOSL. All the money the non-profit would save by not having to buy a server can go towards charity. 

If your organization already works with certain non-profits, you can donate the server to one. Alternatively, you can reach out to non-profits, preferably large ones using on-premise network infrastructure, and offer to donate the server. 

This can be part of your corporate social responsibility, and if you have personnel dedicated to that, they can do the research and reach out to potential non-profits. 

Safe Disposal Through Professional Services

This should be your last resort, preferably only if the out-of-use server is defunct. IT asset disposition (ITAD) services can take care of decommissioning an old server and safely disposing of it, so it has minimal contribution to waste. 

PivIT’s EXTEND professional services include a dedicated ITAD service that handles server decommissioning for data centers and other IT enterprises. From destroying data that lives on the server to de-racking it, PivIT’s professionals take care of everything, so you can continue to focus on your business. 

Using a professional service for such projects saves your engineers time that you could spend on more important things. PivIT and its partners also provide on-site data and hardware destruction with certification so you can be sure that your critical data and equipment don’t end up in the wrong hands. 

In many places, there are regulations for safely disposing of electric equipment. For instance, the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulates IT waste disposal in the European Union. Similarly, the R2 Standard in the US provides guidelines for recycling and disposing of IT equipment.  

Using a professional ITAD service like EXTEND from PivIT ensures that your organization complies with international regulations on electronic waste disposition.

Think Green!

Manufacturers are releasing new equipment quickly, and technology is evolving at an incredible rate. This has resulted in IT and other businesses having to upgrade servers frequently. 

While installing new servers is a great way to improve infrastructure performance, paying attention to what you do with the server being replaced is essential. 

Reusing, repurposing, or recycling the out-of-use server is the best way to ensure that your legacy equipment doesn’t contribute to the e-waste. By reusing, selling, or donating the server, you can ensure that it stays in use and doesn’t get disposed of until necessary.