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Rentwise’s remanufactured desktop computers donated to schools come with a 1 year warranty.

It’s truly an honour and privilege to be working with Sumitomo Corporation Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd, Kuala Lumpur Branch (SCAOKL) & Sumitomo Corporation Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SCMY) in a joint CSR programme to donate 10 units of remanufactured desktops to SMK Taman Klang Utama (PPKI – Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi / Special Needs Education Integration)’s special needs division on the 28 July 2022. Katsuhito Horiguchi, the General Manager of SCAOKL who is also the Managing Director of SCMY,  Charley Chang, Head of Technology Services at Rentwise, and Pn Hjh Umi Kalsom binti Mohd Wahi, Headmistress of the school, officiated the opening of the computer lab during the launching ceremony.

“Education is the most important thing that we can contribute to society. When I first arrived this morning, the children and teachers’ faces were so bright. It was such a welcoming sight. I understand that this school has both the regular or mainstream learning and the special needs division as well,” says Mr. Horiguchi. He is glad that Rentwise and SCAOKL/SCMY have collaborated to ensure the 10 units of remanufactured desktops are put to good use for the special needs education programme.

“This is a timely move as the school is gearing up their special needs digital syllabus teaching to be in line with current needs. I sincerely hope our computers can effectively support their learning process. Our company has activities worldwide. In each area, we are trying to find out how to best contribute to society. We work with people, and that’s what we are doing today and will always be doing,” Mr Horiguchi adds.

About 65% of the students of SMK Taman Klang Utama are from the B40 category; which means they are at the bottom 40% of the Malaysian household income. Some parents cannot even afford to pay for the Parents Teachers Association’s fee of RM 80 per year per family. Education is clearly one of the ways to combat poverty. With these donated remanufactured computers, hopefully, technology can be used to accelerate the children’s computer learning abilities, thereby affording them a competitive advantage in this increasingly digitalised world.

Rentwise is proud to work with Sumitomo Corporation Malaysia Sdn Bhd in this CSR program benefitting the special needs children of SMK Taman Klang Utama (PPKI)

“This school has students with special needs education. Our special needs education programme which includes a Basic Multimedia module on digital learning helps them to achieve social independence and academic excellence. We have more than 90 special needs children. Before we got this donated computers, we were borrowing notebooks from mainstream students to be used by the special needs students. With this donation, I believe the children would find more motivation and comfort in their learning,” shares Puan Umi Kalsom of the challenges faced in digital learning by the school’s students.

“As a National Champion, this school has just won the Digital Utilisation Technology Awards (special needs children category) back in July 2022, beating the state of Kedah. These donated remanufactured computers came at an opportune time to enable us to make greater strides in our children’s digital learning. They complete our endeavours to achieve bigger breakthroughs in digital education. I was even made to understand that several other PPKI schools will be visiting and using our school as a benchmarking reference for their own digital learning framework,” Puan Umi Kalsom adds with a glint in her eyes.

Puan Umi Kalsom sincerely hopes that this digital advancement experienced by her special needs children’s ICT learning can also be extended to other areas of the school. She certainly hopes to see further digitisation of her mainstream students’ learning and management of teachers’ & students’ affairs besides the main purpose of empowering for academic excellence.

“On behalf of all teachers of this school, I express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to SCAOKL/SCMY and Rentwise for these donated remanufactured computers. This assistance is truly unexpected and as such, I believe the teachers are more motivated and dedicated now that they feel they have a more meaningful connection and relationship with society at large, with this technological upgrade. It has certainly allowed us to achieve many other visions which we could only dream of before this,” Puan Umi Kalsom concludes.

The computer lab at SMK Taman Klang Utama (PPKI) was officiated on the 28 July 2022

Rentwise would like to thank Katsuhito Horiguchi of SCAOKL/SCMY for his enthusiasm and recognition of this small but highly important initiative as part of Rentwise’s ongoing Digital Learning Empowerment Program (DLEP). We are always on the lookout to work with many more corporate organisations to help them recover much more value than is possible from retired IT equipment as part of our commitment to energise the Circular Economy in Malaysia.

Here’s to fulfilling United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production). Happy children, Happy society, Happy environment! Happy days ahead indeed.


Recognising education as a fundamental human right and the importance of digital learning capabilities, Rentwise constantly seeks to establish collaborative partnerships with corporate organisations who are looking at responsible ways to dispose of their IT equipment when they retire old computers. Please do get in touch with us to discover a whole new way of saving the environment and empowering our future leaders at the same time, all by just a single simple act of kindness.

In celebration of Reman Day 2022, Rentwise Sdn Bhd hosted an event on 14th April, 2022 as part of an effort to educate people about the value of IT equipment remanufacturing. On this meaningful occasion, Rentwise invited everyone to reflect on Remanufacturing as one of the important drivers of a circular economy for sustainable development.

A public webinar titled “Rethinking Remanufacturing: Waste to Ways for Sustainable Growth” was organized and attended by Rentwise staff, customers and partners. Participants were able to learn more about the latest trends, opportunities and development involving Remanufacturing and the circular economy.

 

Sustainability is good for business

We were proud to have with us Ms. Shanta Helena Dwarkasing, Director of Programs from United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia/Brunei and Dr Magdalene Andrew Munot, Senior Lecturer at the Deparment of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to share about the role of Remanufacturing as a key enabler for sustainability.

Ms Li Jin Chin, Senior Managing Partner of ACMF Circular Economy moderated the insightful session that saw an exciting discussion surrounding the differences of value-creation potential between recycle, refurbish and remanufacturing. To top it off, the role of IT equipment remanufacturing in circular economy is well defined as a key activity to combat e-waste and promote sustainable development.

 

Remanufacturing VS other recovery techniques

The Remanufacturing Industries Council defines Remanufacturing as “a comprehensive and rigorous industrial process by which a previously sold, leased, used, worn, or non-functional product or part is returned to a “like-new” or “better-than-new” condition, from both a quality and performance perspective, through a controlled, reproducible, and sustainable process.” More importantly, it is worth noting that Remanufacturing is not the same as “recycling”, “repairing” or “refurbishing”.

Fact: Rentwise since its inception, has on an average, remanufactured more than 64,000 PCs, with about equal amount between notebooks and desktops. These remanufactured computers have helped reduced more than 83,000 tonnes of CO2e emission, with an estimated duration of use for each computer at 10 years (total 3 cycles at 3 years per cycle).

Fact: Remanufacturing saves, on average up to, 85% of energy use, 86% of water use, and 85% of material use compared to new goods.

Reman Day is an annual global event executed at the local level supported by remanufacturers as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local community members at open houses, plant tours and presentations designed to showcase the social, economic and environmental benefits of remanufacturing.

“There are countless advantages to remanufacturing goods, including localized job creation and waste diversion,” said Ms Leanne Ooi, CEO of Rentwise Sdn Bhd. “The goal of Reman Day is to advocate for remanufactured goods, educate people on the advantages of remanufacturing, and collaborate with our communities in order to identify future remanufacturing leaders.”

Rentwise is always proud to be part of this annual celebration of World Remanufacturing Day with other remanufacturing industries globally. This special day represents the very core business of what Rentwise does best. Remanufacturing is poised to effectively combat e-waste in the ICT industry, bring about social and environmental improvements, and harness the trillion dollar business of circular economy. In short, Remanufacturing impacts people, planet and profits.

What is ESG?

The use of Rentwise’s carbon neutral remanufactured computers is appropriate in light of the urgency to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions. This is a simple first step of change in the right direction for large or small companies to decarbonize and remain not just relevant but profitable as they navigate the challenging ESG landscape.

IT plays a central role in any organization and it’s only logical that a carbon reduction strategy begins with using remanufactured computers

The earth’s population is projected to reach 8.6 billion people by 2030. There is an urgent need to provide enough food, water and energy to power this growing demand in the next decade and beyond. This is simply not going to happen unless we change the way we consume.

Today, atmospheric CO2 is at a higher level than at any point in the last 3 million years. Humans are injecting more CO2 into the atmosphere at one of the fastest rates ever. The information & communication technology sector’s global share of greenhouse gas emission stood at 4% in 2020, and is projected to rise to 14% in 2040.

Production and use of a new laptop and desktop emit about 350 kg and 800 kg of CO2 respectively. In 2019, only 17% out of 54 million metric tonnes of e-waste generated was properly recycled. The balance 83% was either dumped into landfills or incinerated. We owe humanity’s progress in the past century to technology, but it appears our soaring IT-related carbon footprint due to unsustainable consumption is holding us back. Is IT working for us, or against us?

Out of 54 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2019, only 17% is recycled properly

With this in mind, there’s growing realisation that using the latest and greatest in IT is never necessary. Using remanufactured computers helps reduce as much as 75% carbon emission. At Rentwise, the balance 25% carbon is offset via our reforestation initiative, thereby allowing us to be recognised as the first carbon neutral computer in Malaysia.

As the world gears toward achieving Net Zero by 2050, decarbonisation in all sectors becomes a priority. To make this a reality, we need technology to fight climate change. Today, organisations are not only under increasing threat from business-disrupting weather patterns but also from punitive government policies that limit their business opportunities and growth if decarbonisation is not observed.

IT is an indispensable tool that plays a central role in running any business today. Therefore, it is only logical that a sound carbon reduction strategy begins with using remanufactured computers. Essentially, using remanufactured computers by Rentwise is the first step towards improving an organisation’s ESG profile.

Using Rentwise’s remanufactured computers is the quickest, simplest and most cost-effective way to improve an organization’s ESG profile

Founded in 2001, Rentwise’s circular business model has served more than 200 medium to large corporations in Malaysia and Singapore. A pioneer remanufacturer of IT equipment in Malaysia, Rentwise has to date reduced over 280 million kg of CO2 emission from more than 378,000 used computers repurposed. As an award winning, accredited and leading independent lessor for end-to-end green IT infrastructure, we take great pride in our strict 16-step remanufacturing process. This process has enabled us to extend the use of a PC by up to 3 cycles, thereby maintaining product utility at its highest value over an average lifespan of 10 years.

As a registered social enterprise and signatory member of the United Nations Global Compact, aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 12, 13 & 17, Rentwise is especially committed to providing equitable access to digital learning among underprivileged school children. Our digital learning empowerment program has seen more than 100 schools with over 31,000 students benefitting from donated remanufactured computers in a joint collaborative effort with our project partners, many of whom are also our clients. This is timely especially in light of the pandemic where remote learning has become the norm.

We owe it to our future generation to do better. Green IT represents the power to control and pivot towards a sustainable future and achieve our best.

Let us help you become the ground zero for change towards net zero.

Together, let’s seek to ensure sustainable computing for a sustainable planet.

References:

  1. https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-projected-reach-98-billion-2050-and-112-billion-2100
  2. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/extreme-climate-change-history/617793/
  3. https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/03/20180306-mcmaster.html
  4. https://www.dell.com/en-th/dt/corporate/social-impact/advancing-sustainability/sustainable-products-and-services/product-carbon-footprints.htm#tab0=0
  5. https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/green-IT-factsheet
  6. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/compliance/eco-declaration/

Rentwise is proud to be involved in an international event during the Expo 2020 Dubai’s Week 26 Circular Economy held from 27 – 31 March 2022. This event was driven by the Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) and hosted at Malaysia’s Net Zero Carbon Pavilion amongst other exhibitors whose products and services revolves around the idea of zero waste and cycling of materials.

As the leading Green IT infrastructure service provider and the first and only IT equipment remanufacturer in Malaysia, Rentwise’s unique circular computers help reduce carbon footprint and improves organisations’ ESG profile. On this note, we are truly proud to be representing Malaysia on the international stage with a unique climate solution.

Throughout the course of this event, we had the opportunity to engage with officers from the Ministry of Environment & Water Malaysia (KASA). The resulting dialogue explored how Rentwise’s unique financing and rental solution for remanufactured desktops and laptops can help increase competitiveness in the green industry, spur business development in the global market, increase employment, improve health and subsequently reduce poverty. Circular economy indeed has far and wide reaching benefits that can potentially catalyse progress towards a low carbon and climate resilient growth.

We are certainly looking forward to participate in future similar events as we value the global recognition and reach this platform offers. We hope the environmental and financial benefits offered by our award winning remanufactured computers can be enjoyed by cost-conscious and discerning corporations looking for affordable and actionable means to decarbonize and improve on their ESG profile.

Rentwise is the leading green IT company in the Circular Economy space focused on delivering quality remanufactured desktops and laptops on an IT leasing structure. This sustainable computing solution helps save money, reduce carbon footprint and drives companies’ vision to achieve their ESG goals. Our circular computers’ utility are kept at the highest functional performance for the longest period of time, thereby extending the lifespan of IT equipment before they are responsibly disposed and recycled.

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In this day and age, when we think of education, it is natural to associate it with a computer. This is because digital literacy is the way forward for generations to come.

Prior to the establishment of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tun Fuad Stephens (SMK TFS), many students did not continue their education to secondary school. The nearest secondary school was located in the neighbouring towns and accessibility was only through one red dirt road mixed with gravel whilst the public transport available then was a few ‘Land Cruisers’.

With its history dating back from 1982, SMK Tun Fuad Stephens now has a population of 1,069. Approximately 60km from Kota Kinabalu, the school serves about 16 villages around its vicinity, many of whom are in the B40 category.

Nonetheless, although the school possesses an IT lab, unfortunately there are no functional PCs. Upon hearing this and being approached by the school to assist this situation, Rentwise reached out to our corporate clients to venture into this initiative. Sharing the same vision to bridge the digital divide in school going children, Sunway Medical stepped up to answer this call in collaborating with us with a donation of 23 remanufactured desktops (which will serve the children for a good 3-5 years).

Sadly, due to unfortunate circumstances caused by the implementation of the MCO in March 2020, which resulted in the delayed deployment of these computers, only in January 2021 were the items finally able to reach SMK Tun Fuad Stephens, Kiulu, Tamparuli, Sabah.

By sharing this true experience endured by many nationwide due to the lack of IT equipment in schools, Rentwise calls out to corporates to come forward to address these pressing needs and together we can help empower our children’s future. After all, education is a fundamental human right!

“Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime” –  Lao Tzu

“A child without education is like a bird without wings.” – Tibetan Proverb

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As our technologies evolve, our society is expected to advance alongside them. That’s why in today’s digitalised era – where smartphones, tablets, and gadgets rule our everyday lives – it’s become more important than ever to make sure that we are given proper IT education. And it’s this education that must be taught in our youth in order to catch up with the pace of our evolution.

In order to nurture IT education in the young while making sure that carbon emissions are kept to a minimum or ideally offset completely, Selangor-based secondary school SMK Desa Serdang received 25 remanufactured desktop PCs from Rentwise Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with Sunway Medical Centre Sdn Bhd in October 2021.

This donation comes as part of Rentwise’s CSR efforts, and will benefit the 1200 students currently studying at the school. Students there will receive the bulk of the core education which will help prepare them for adulthood, where they will also begin to explore what they wish to pursue in the future. With that in mind, receiving a proper IT education is a core part of their maturation and development.

Rentwise Sdn Bhd currently leads Malaysia’s green IT infrastructure sector, serving as a MITI-certified manufacturer and Microsoft-registered refurbisher of technological devices. Understanding that purchasing new devices can be incredibly costly on both finances and the environment, this sustainability-focused enterprise has placed their efforts in giving old and used devices a new life through a meticulous 16-step restoration process. The result? Devices that return their former glory, appearing and performing as if new.

For more details on Rentwise’s services, visit here.

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In October 2021, the future got a lot brighter for the students of SJK Tamil Dengkil. Thanks to the contribution of used equipment from Sunway Medical Centre Sdn Bhd, 20 remanufactured desktop PCs from leading green IT infrastructure services provider, Rentwise Sdn Bhd, were donated to the school for the children’s use.

A primary school located in the Sepang District of Selangor, the institution currently provides for a total of 295 students. In order to improve IT education and better secure future opportunities for its students, the school sought support from Rentwise to procure remanufactured computers.

In their pursuit to make modern and digitalised living kinder to the environment, Rentwise specializes in the remanufacture and refurbishment of everyday devices such as laptops, desktops, and even smartphones. By breathing new life into used or old parts, the company is able to not only return devices to same-as-new, or better condition and performance – but also helps cut costs up to 40% and reduce their carbon footprint by 75%. The remaining C02 emissions are offset by reforestation, which allows Rentwise products to reach Carbon Neutrality – contributing to more sustainable, environmentally-friendly efforts.

This CSR initiative by Rentwise is a testament to the company’s mission in significantly offsetting their annual carbon footprint and the race to net zero.

For further details on how remanufactured and refurbished products work at Rentwise, more information can be found here.

With Malaysians facing the brunt of lockdown by spending more and more time on our screens, it’s easy not to realise that even something as simple as surfing the web for hours can greatly increase the amount of carbon emissions generated by the energy consumption of data centres.

And with overuse, it also quickly invites wear and tear on devices, leaving those unaware of greener solutions to simply dump their once technological marvels – behind a massive carbon footprint while contributing to waste.

As Malaysia’s leading Green IT Infrastructure Services provider in Malaysia, we at Rentwise look to provide locals with a two-hit solution to not only neutralise their carbon emissions, but to also help the environment heal from the destruction wrought upon them. To achieve this, we look to decarbonisation and reforestation – keep on reading to find out how this works.

Simply put, the term “decarbonisation” literally means the reduction of carbon, by sustainably reducing and compensating the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). It’s also known as carbon neutrality, meaning that carbon dioxide output has a net neutral impact on the environment, which in return could help stem the effects of climate change. It is a known fact that greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide increase average temperatures worldwide – leading to rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and other factors associated with climate change.

Decarbonisation or carbon neutrality is usually achieved through the increased use of low-carbon power generation, large-scale use of electric vehicles via “clean” technologies, as well as the reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The latter would typically be replaced with renewable energy sources such as wind power, biomass, or solar power.

Decarbonisation or carbon neutrality is usually achieved through the increased use of low-carbon power generation, large-scale use of electric vehicles via “clean” technologies, as well as the reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The latter would typically be replaced with renewable energy sources such as wind power, biomass, or solar power.

As you know, deforestation is the removal of a forest or a wide area of trees from land, which is then typically converted to commercial and industrial use. Now think of the opposite of that, and you get reforestation.

Reforestation can either be the natural or intentional “restocking” of these depleted lands, which can greatly improve the quality of human life and rectify the negative effects of deforestation. This includes the rebuilding of natural habitats, rebalancing ecosystems, and mitigating global warming through the biosequestration of carbon dioxide. Reforestation is basically one of the best methods in tackling climate change.

At Rentwise, we’re committed to becoming Net Zero by 2030 through our circular business model that allows you to offset your carbon footprint, while our Reforestation Initiative is our part in helping to reverse the climate crisis and halting the destruction of the environment.

Did you know that a total of 15 laptops can actually generate as much carbon emissions as a mid-sized car? In 2019 alone, the shipment of new PCs to Malaysia exceeded 2.3 million units – which drastically increased our carbon emissions.

This is where our Remanufacturing process comes into play to help with decarbonisation. This is a standardised industrial process by which we salvage and remanufacture retired equipment, which returns them to a same-as-new or better condition in appearance and performance. Compared to the plain process of repair, refurbish, or reuse, this not only extends the life cycle of the product, but also eradicates waste generation, while helping to offset about 75-80% of carbon footprint.

But what of the residual amount? Then we make our way to the Race to Net Zero Package, where we offer the opportunity to give back to the environment and offset remaining carbon footprint by reforestation.

As the country – and the world – slowly shifts to a more remote workforce and greater reliance on technology, we should make the effort whenever possible to combat their negative effects. After all, at the end of the day, our ambitions and daily necessities should not cost the Earth.

By choosing Rentwise remanufactured laptops or desktop PCs, companies and organisations can choose whether to plant a tree in Nepal, Kenya, Italy, Haiti, Honduras, Madagascar, Tanzania, Colombia, Cameroon, Guatemala, Ghana, or Equador in their name. They will then be provided information about the impact of their tree – each tree will be able to absorb up to 350kg of CO2, the community that takes care of it, updates on the project progress, as well as geolocation and photographing of the trees when planted.

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Local institution Sekolah Kebangsaan Kg Raja Uda – or SK Kg Raja Uda for short – is based at Jalan Kenanga in the state of Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor. Comprised of a total of 743 students, the school has struggled with providing sufficient IT education due to a lack of resources. In this technologically-driven era, it’s crucial to have, at the very least, basic IT education instilled into children so that they will be well-equipped to pursue their aspirations in the future.

As the country’s leading provider in green IT infrastructure services, Rentwise Sdn Bhd believes that not only is education important – but it shouldn’t cost the earth. Rather than have the world constantly rely on purchasing new computers, the local enterprise prides itself on its 16-step remanufacturing process, where reused as well as repaired computer parts are combined and then rebuilt into devices that perform just like new. This not only helps to save up to 75% in carbon footprint compared to new purchases, it also reduces monetary cost by up to 40%.

With used equipment donated through Sunway Medical Centre Sdn Bhd, Rentwise delivered a total of 20 remanufactured desktop PCs to SK Kg Raja Uda in August 2021 as part of their CSR initiatives. With this donation, the students of SK Kg Raja Uda will have improved access to IT education, and be better equipped to face the digital future. This also cements Rentwise’s leadership in green IT infrastructure and its commitment to foster education in children.

More details on Rentwise’s services can be found here.