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Sustainability isn’t just about environmental impact - it also includes social responsibility through supporting communities. SK Tes aims to create social impact through ethical and community-focused actions through a number of corporate sustainability initiatives.
In this blog, we explore how SK Tes is driving social impact through corporate sustainability initiatives. These social initiatives are a huge part of our Provide pillar in corporate social responsibility strategy and this blog covers:- 4 ways SK Tes supports communities with corporate sustainability initiatives and examples:
1. Corporate sustainability initiatives - closing the digital divide
3. SK Tes sustainability initiative examples - advancement programs like LEAP
4. SK Tes sustainability initiative examples - supporting charities with donations - Conclusion: SK Tes goes way beyond social obligations
How SK Tes is a socially responsible company
SK Tes offers circular IT services for enterprises and customers
SK Tes, as a socially responsible company, generates multiple significant indirect economic impacts throughout the value chain, supporting electronics waste management and providing affordable electronics for consumers. By offering circular solutions for electronics and batteries, we reduce demand for virgin raw materials and help lower the resource intensity of digitalization and electrification across industries.
The problem we are addressing is two-fold: tackling e-waste - one of the fastest-growing and most hazardous waste streams in the world - and helping businesses significantly reduce their Scope 3 emissions through reuse, refurbishment, and closed loop recycling.
Beyond environmental impact, our work also supports social responsibility by bridging the digital divide. By selling refurbished devices, SK Tes supports access to digital tools in underserved regions, particularly in developing countries, contributing to narrowing the digital divide and advancing the transition toward a circular economy.
Through our IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) programs, we distributed more than 3 million refurbished assets in 2024, of which 1,240,043 were consumer electronics - desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones - providing affordable technology access to underserved communities at significantly below-market prices. This distribution creates measurable indirect economic impact.
4 ways SK Tes supports communities with sustainability initiatives and examples:
Social sustainability initiatives are a core component of the Provide pillar within our corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. At SK Tes, we support communities through four key social initiatives, which represent our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) social focus areas:
1. Corporate sustainability initiative - closing the digital divide
As a global IT equipment recycler, SK Tes has for many years made bridging the digital divide technical literacy for all a core element of our social responsibility agenda. By extending the lifecycle of IT assets and returning high-quality refurbished devices to the market at affordable prices, we improve access to essential digital tools for a broader range of users.
At SK Tes, we have identified eight UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that most closely align with our objectives, capabilities, and long-term ambitions. Closing the digital divide is a key focus within SDG 4: Quality Education for All, and we continually assess our initiatives to ensure they deliver measurable, positive impact for the communities and stakeholders we serve.
In the United States, only 23% of lower-income households have access to essential technologies, compared to 63% of high-income households. Devices are distributed directly from our operations or through our downstream partners across the globe, providing affordable alternatives to new electronics. This enables lower-income communities to connect to the internet and essential online services, stimulating local economic activity and entrepreneurship.
Over the years, we have also partnered with charities and social enterprises like Close the Gap (a social enterprise), Litehouse International (not-for profit assisting students in Australia), Turing Trust (an organization in the UK supporting students) to assist with laptop and device donations.
2. SK Tes sustainability initiative example - expansive social impact with education programs
At SK Tes, we provide various educational programs on electronics recycling or battery recycling and to engage with different demographics and communities globally.
Additionally, globally SK Tes invites corporate partners to participate in our educational programs throughout the year. Initiatives in 2024 ranged from workplace e-waste collection campaigns to technical demonstrations and employee engagement workshops focused on circularity and sustainability. These partnerships reinforce the message that sustainability is a shared responsibility, from industry through to individual action.
On Earth Day, SK Tes experts join panel discussions to share real-world insights into sustainable electronics recycling, ESG practices, and green innovation.
In China, our team deepened its leadership in circular economy education through the Vision Circular Economy Science Education Base in Shanghai. As one of China’s earliest national demonstration facilities for circular economy education, the site hosted 33 outreach events in 2024, engaging 3,463 participants including schoolchildren, university students, corporate partners, and international delegations. Through a combination of lectures, factory tours, hands-on workshops, and interactive exhibits, participants were introduced to the journey of e-waste, from disposal to resource recovery.
Also, in China, we have welcomed participants of the Belt and Road “Zero-Waste Cities” international training programme, hosted in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University. Delegates from countries including Cambodia, Iran, Nepal, and Sri Lanka visited our Shanghai site to learn about China’s progress in e-waste and battery recycling systems, highlighting our role in promoting global knowledge exchange and capacity building in sustainable waste management.
In Singapore, Wawa pictures (Microcorp) visited our battery recycling site in Singapore to create an educational episode for a children’s tv show, watch here. The episode focused on how Alessandro Volta invented the battery and showed the entire process of battery recycling at SK Tes to raise awareness about the importance of handling chemical waste.
In Thailand, Dodo and Friends visited SK Tes Thailand to provide educational program about e waste management - to explain the correct and environmental friendly way for managing e-waste in this world not just now but for future generations (To watch a show, view post on LinkedIn by ).
3. SK Tes sustainability initiative example - sustainability advancement programs like LEAP
SK Tes Australia is the founder and majority shareholder of Sustainable Product Stewards (SPS). SPS was set up in 2022 with the aim of ensuring Australia’s social and disability enterprise sector was viable within Australia’s co-regulated National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS), a product stewardship scheme for television, information and communication technologies.
The LEAP grants contribute to SK Tes Sustainable Impact Goal 16 by advancing socially oriented SDGs, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), among others.
Brands can co-sponsor LEAP grants to deepen engagement across their value chain and convert the cost of product stewardship into measurable social and economic returns aligned with ESG targets and the UN SDGs. As a participant-led program, LEAP grants have delivered substantial workplace improvements through the provision of equipment, health and safety upgrades, certifications, and research and development initiatives.
Through our work with Sustainable Product Stewards, SK Tes supports the social and disability enterprise sector with approximately 30,000 hours of meaningful work each year across Australia. We also continue to provide Local Environment Advancement Program (LEAP) grants to social and disability enterprises engaged in e-waste recycling, enabling them to obtain certifications, enhance workplace safety, upgrade infrastructure, and advance self-directed research and development initiatives.
Watch the interview with Bede Wolf, Sustainability Lead, to learn more about the Local Environment Advancement Program (LEAP) grants and how to get involved.
James Chapman, Team Leader at Are-Able e-waste recycling social enterprise - “The initiative was driven by the need to enhance the efficiency of e-waste management and to create a safer work environment. The new storage racks have significantly improved the storage of dismantled e-waste components, increased storage capacity, improved accessibility, and enhanced safety in the workspace. The project has also positively impacted the efficiency of e-waste processing, as components are now easier to locate and handle. We are deeply appreciative of SPS’s dedication to supporting social enterprises in this way.
4. SK Tes supports local and global charitable sustainability initiatives
SK Tes is committed to engaging with local communities through inclusive education and awareness-raising programs centred on the circular economy and e-waste management. From donating refurbished laptops and supporting local schools and children in need, to providing career guidance and broader community assistance, SK Tes strengthens its social impact through a diverse portfolio of charitable initiatives worldwide.
In Germany. We are proud to support a local forest kindergarten, die Waldfrüchtchen, with a donation of 10 refurbished laptops for their educators and administrative team. These devices will help streamline daily operations and support the incredible work being done in the heart of nature. By giving these devices a second life, we are extending the hardware lifecycle and contributing to a project that brings children closer to nature - a positive action for long-term sustainability.
In Australia, SK Tes team supported families in need with gifts. The initiative was created to bring a little joy to families and individuals in our community who may have otherwise gone without anything this Christmas. In partnership with Youth Off The Streets, the drive focused on ensuring children, young people and families felt remembered, supported and cared for during what can be a very difficult time of year.
Globally, our employees engage in local career fairs and school interview events, to assist young people with their career-path choices and employment prospects.
Conclusion: SK Tes goes way beyond social obligations
Our social initiatives are at the core of the Provide pillar at SK Tes and are fully aligned with our mission: to make a decade of difference by securely, safely, and sustainably re‑purposing 1 billion kilograms of assets by 2030, going well beyond basic social obligations.
We will continue to advance these initiatives and invite collaboration with our partners, as this amplifies our positive impact for local communities.
In 2026, the Sustainability Team at SK Tes aims to develop a framework to measure and report social value alongside financial value. This initiative will encompass circularity, carbon reduction, landfill avoidance, digital inclusion, and community empowerment. Ultimately, we seek to answer a fundamental question: how much total value do we truly create - economically, socially, and environmentally - through the work we do every day.
As part of the Provide pillar, we also actively engage our employees and build strong, long-term partnerships with our suppliers and partners. Learn more by exploring these blogs:
1. How SK Tes Drives Inclusion and Engagement for Employees Globally
2. Building a Sustainable Supply Chain and Services with ESG standards
Or, just download our sustainability report for more information about our verified CSR goals and progress.
Download SK Tes Sustainability Report
Our latest Sustainability Report showcases more on the scope of the social impact across regions, and report on our verified, science-based targets. Download the full report here.
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