Evident Life is a young and completely digital life insurance company with a business idea that focuses on digital innovation, data-driven operations, and preventive health measures. From the beginning, sustainability has been a cornerstone in their development, something they have actively integrated into every phase of their growth.

CEO Michaela Bruneheim shares that their goal was to “do it right from the start” by minimizing their carbon footprint and maintaining environmentally and socially sustainable business practices.

Evident Life is committed to several of the UN’s global sustainability goals, especially goals 3, 5, 8, and 12. This includes measures such as encouraging employees to use bicycles, walking and public transport, and in their digital business model, they continuously strive for energy-efficient technology. Their digital focus also leads to significantly less paper consumption, which they see as a distinct advantage compared to competitors.

Gender equality is also a core aspect of their operations, with an aim for balance in gender distribution both operationally and at the board level. Flexibility in working hours and location is part of their corporate culture, which they see as crucial to maintaining a healthy balance in life for their employees, which in turn contributes to the company’s long-term success and sustainability.

Evident Life conducts an annual climate analysis with GoClimate, where they evaluate and take responsibility for their emissions by financing climate projects, chosen through a democratic process among the employees. This method of climate financing is not only effective but also engaging, as it allows employees to participate in the choice of projects and see the direct effects of their contributions, which Bruneheim describes as a meaningful way to contribute to a better planet.

“It feels rewarding to be able to make our small contribution to making the planet a little better”, says Michaela Bruneheim.

Elisabeth Byström and Johan Ernfors run the Instagram account Minimalisterna where they share their everyday life and strive towards a simpler and more harmonious life with minimalism.

“The biggest change we’ve made is not buying things immediately when the desire or interest arises”

Elisabeth and Johan live in a residential area outside of Stockholm with their two children and from the outside, they appear like any other family.

However, they actively strive to live with fewer unnecessary items, meaning they only own items they truly need and use. They also seek to eliminate the less important things when it comes to expenses, commitments, and interests in life.

“The biggest change we’ve made is not buying things immediately when the desire or interest arises. And to have patience and first research the second-hand market properly. Still, when there is a need we do want to purchase quality and tech gadgets that meet our needs.”

“We still have the computer we bought together in 2012”

“We replace tech gadgets when we feel that the ones we have today no longer meet our needs. Clear examples are mobile phones where substantial development has occurred over the past ten years, which means we’ve switched phones a couple of times, for instance, to get a better camera since we take a lot of photos. Whereas when it comes to computers, we still have one that we bought together in 2012, which still works and meets our needs to this day. The children each have a tablet that we bought second-hand as we didn’t feel they needed brand new ones to meet their needs.”

Elisabeth and Johan’s tips for sustainable consumption

Elisabeth and Johan’s tips for a more sustainable approach to tech are primarily to start looking in the second-hand market,

“If you don’t own the gadget today, or if you have a working one right now, you most likely don’t need to buy it so you have it tomorrow or upgrade immediately. Have some patience.

And don’t forget the importance of selling tech gadgets you don’t use as soon as possible, as technology can easily become outdated and thereby quickly depreciates in value.”

Regarding consumption in general, the couple suggests asking yourself some control questions before making a purchase.

“For instance; How will my life improve with this item? What value does this item bring to me? How often will I really use it? And is this something I truly need, or is it more something I want but don’t need?

Having a basic rule to never make impulsive purchases is key. If you find something interesting, always sleep on it or set a timeframe to wait a week or month and then see if the need still feels as strong. It’s surprisingly common that a little distance and time results in what felt like an intense need cooling down.”

Check out their instagram account for more inspiration!

Inrego wants to change buying behavior and promote circular IT as a competitive advantage.

Laptops, computers, mobile phones, and other IT products can be reused just like cars, boats, or bicycles.

“After 28 years in the industry, we know that a reconditioned product lasts just as long as a new one, so we offer the same warranty as for new products.” says Sebastian Holmström, Sustainability Manager at Inrego.

 “It is important for us to show that there is a difference between reused products that have not been worked properly on and reconditioned products that have been upgraded and are sold with a warranty.”

Sustainability plays a crucial role in being an attractive employer

Sebastian has experienced that the market for reused electronics is thriving since a few years back, for several reasons – not least because of how sustainable business practices strengthen the brand.

“We see that circular IT has become a competitive advantage, where sustainable IT management is crucial to attract young talent to the company. Sustainability plays a crucial role in being an attractive employer, and the demand for reused products has increased significantly for this reason.”

Read more about Inrego here.

Check out Inregos webshop here.

Read our checklist for handling IT equipment sustainably as a company, here.

Ensure maximum performance and durability of your equipment

• Provide maintenance for existing equipment
• If something is broken, the possibility of repairing or replacing a component should always be considered.
• See if it makes financial sense to do so. Sometimes repairing is more expensive than new equipment, In this case, the decision to repair could still be valid if the life expectancy is still significant.

Purchases should be based on actual (not perceived) needs

• Have a good inventory.
• Reassign equipment among colleagues.
• Avoid buying new equipment if not needed.

Replacement policy

• Do not have an automatic 2-3 year replacement, make it optional for employees to replace at that time if they see the need.
• Consider the manufactures guidance for when equipment should be replaced but bear in mind that well-taken care of equipment can last longer.

Consider buying refurbished electronics

• Companies such as Inrego or Swappie sell refurbished equipment that had a previous owner and now has been repaired for others to use it.
• If they have equipment that serves your needs consider buying from them instead of brand new equipment

When buying new equipment

• Look for environmentally certified products such as the Green Electronics Council EPEAT Registry or TCO Certified.
• Buy from brands that account for their carbon footprint and energy efficiency
• Look for energy efficiency ecolabels such as Energy star or the one created by the EU where A means most efficient. Applies to monitors, computers, and servers.

The afterlife of your equipment

• Sell your old/unused equipment to Inrego or iPhones to Swappie.