PACKAGING developed at Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) Technology Renewal Centre in Erskine is receiving ‘phenomenal’ feedback from customers, the site’s operations manager has told Packaging Scotland.
The 170,000 sq ft facility processes second-hand tech – such as laptops and desktops – to be sold as refurbished products, with it assessing the hardware, sanitising data, and undertaking functional testing of the technology.
Alongside its twin facility in Massachusetts, the Erskine site processed 4.2 million pieces of second-use tech equipment in 2023 – with 86% of servers and 94% of PCs being upcycled and returned to active use, whilst the remaining tech was recycled.
Consumer attitudes towards refurbished technology are improving, with a study by Currys revealing that one in three people in the UK were considering buying refurbished tech in the winter of 2023 – with 75% citing sustainability concerns as the driver, amidst the UK generating the second-highest level of e-waste per capita in the world.
However, some still hold reservations over refurbished technology and HPE’s bespoke packaging is designed to help break the stigma of second-hand purchases.
“That’s why we strive to produce as professional an unboxing experience as we can,” Jackie Rafferty, Technology Renewal Centre operations manager at HPEFS, told Packaging Scotland. “It’s older equipment, but let’s make it look as new as it can be, and we’ve certainly done that.”
Jackie, who first began working at the Erskine site over 30 years ago, has spearheaded the redesign of the packaging over the last 13 years – which initially started out as a plain box. Now, it is a slick, modern-looking black box boasting HPE’s branding.
Not just focusing on the aesthetics, Jackie also helped revamp the sustainability of the packaging, with the boxes made from recycled corrugate and utilising a special cornstarch biodegradable foam, made by a local supplier, in place of polystyrene.
“The feedback we’ve had is phenomenal. We explain to customers about the disposal and the non-environmental impact – they’re actually amazed by it and they didn’t think we could get to that level,” he continued. “The PU foam was top of mind for a lot of our customers – so to come across an alternative solution at a local supplier who is only 30 minutes up the road makes life easier. The local community is doing well, and we’re buying thousands of packaging pieces from a local company, so I think it’s a win-win for everyone.”
