Daniel Hållström

from People by PostNord 2_2021 English

Ulf Jakobsson

Zekrulah Ahmadi

Position at PostNord: Driver in Växjö, Sweden. Closest colleagues: “I spend a lot of time with my colleague Valy Afshar. We go to the gym after work and give each other advice when needed.”

DANIEL BREATHES LIFE INTO COMPUTERS

“This is an important issue for society”

Replacing old computers with new ones increases our environmental impact. Daniel Hållström recycles IT-equipment and helps both the environment and people.

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A MOBILE PHONE

or computer looks innocent. But if handled incorrectly, it doesn’t just emit carbon dioxide into our world; it also leaves blood on our hands.

“Sustainable IT is not just about carbon emissions here in Sweden; it's also about the impact we have on the world around us”, says Daniel Hållström, IT Manager at PostNord Strålfors in Sweden.

POSTNORD HAS implemented a large-scale IT recycling project in collaboration with IT management company 3StepIT. Daniel is responsible for Strålfors’ part in the project. Old hardware is collected for reuse or is securely destroyed.

“With our previous system you had to send the old unit to a central collection point”, says Daniel. “We now collect all hardware for recycling locally, where it is picked up by 3StepIT. This also benefits the environment thanks to the simplified logistics.”

Much remains to be done, for instance, regarding natural resources such as tin and tungsten. These metals are great at conducting and storing energy and are therefore used in many IT components.

Unfortunately, they are also some of the best known examples of ‘conflict minerals’. These metals are mined in conflict zones and finance wars. So, there are not just good environmental reasons for better recycling of technical equipment; there are humane ones, too.

DANIEL HAS BEEN interested in technology since his schooldays:

“When I was in secondary school, I found IT operations appealing. I wanted to understand how computers, networks and servers were connected. That’s why I trained as a technician. One thing led to another and suddenly one day I had a job in IT.”

When he first entered the industry in the early 1990s, the focus was on embracing all new technologies. In recent years, awareness of the climate footprint has increased.

“Today, our customers naturally demand that we can measure the climate impact of IT products”, says Daniel.

HOWEVER, SUSTAINABLE IT is not just about measuring carbon emissions. And it’s not just about recycling projects in companies. We can all do more.

“Everyone has to take a look at themselves”, he says. “Did I do the right thing with my old hardware, or did I just throw it in the trash? This is an important issue for society.”