Over 5 billion phones were thrown away in 2022. Laid end to end, that’s enough to circle the Earth more than 15 times. Global electronic waste (or e-waste) is a growing challenge, with over 61 million metric tons of e-waste expected by the end of 2023 — equivalent to the weight of 168 Empire State Buildings.

Business leaders are prioritizing sustainability efforts like cutting down on e-waste, with many looking into circular economy practices — which focus on creating long-lasting, versatile products — and more than a third committing to net-zero targets by 2050. It’s a positive business move, too: Companies with stronger sustainability practices have a 21% higher earnings margin.

Businesses need creative and reliable solutions to turn their sustainability commitments into action. Android Enterprise’s work profile feature can help reduce their demand for new devices without sacrificing productivity and security.

Sustainable benefits of a BYOD strategy

These days, more businesses are embracing the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) deployment strategy, allowing employees to utilize their devices for both work and personal use. And there could be big sustainability benefits: By limiting secondary corporate devices, businesses can significantly reduce their e-waste.

They can also avoid emissions from device production and save energy from charging devices over their lifetime. In fact, based on estimates from our recent report with a third-party research partner, implementing a BYOD strategy for a 10,000-person workforce that needs one device per employee can save enough energy to power the average American household for nearly two years. Plus, it’s cost effective: With secure BYOD, companies can reduce spend on corporate hardware and management by up to 92% in the first year alone.