Sustainability Week 2025
This article is part of a series of sustainability-themed articles we’re running to observe Earth Day 2025 and promote more sustainable practices. Check out all of our Sustainability Week 2025 content.
Consumer tech has a sustainability problem, and as one of the largest consumer tech sites, we see it as our responsibility to encourage better practices from how products are made, to how they’re used, and how their materials are reused or recovered.
That’s why last year, we soft-launched our first ever Sustainability Awards, announcing three winners who demonstrated their mettle with compelling sustainability commitments, innovative new approaches to products and services and, perhaps most importantly, transparency about how they’re making a difference – and where they’ve got some work to do.
Now, we’re delighted to announce that entries for our 2025 Awards are open, and we’re ready to hear all about how brands are moving the dial. Entry to the Awards is completely free, but businesses should be prepared to evidence their impact with relevant documentation, data and certifications.
It’ll take us a few months to fact-check and verify the shared information, and we’re hoping to announce a winner in Summer this year. Our Sustainability Hero award winners from 2024 (Acer, Bang and Olufsen and EcoSend) will be automatically entered into this year’s proceedings, too, but it’s still all to play for.
We’re doing everything we can to bring integrity to our process, ensuring we celebrate meaningful impact rather than greenwashing claims; and that’s why we have an important partner in this venture. Seismic is an international team of experts on a mission to help businesses become increasingly impactful forces for good. They bring together sustainability strategists, Net Zero advisors, reporting specialists, B Corp experts and communications consultants to help businesses lead the shift. Seismic will support us in reviewing entries and judging the winners, bringing an extensive knowledge of impact across a range of disciplines and business models.
We’ll be evaluating entrants not only for sustainable product innovation, but also their approach to people and overall business operations. This includes considerations such as sustainability education, consumer behaviour, circularity in product design and supply chain ethics. Winners will be able to purchase our new TechRadar sustainability logo for marketing purposes.
How to enter
You can enter the TechRadar Sustainability Awards 2025 here until June 20th.
There are five categories to choose from, which are detailed below as advised by Seismic, and you can nominate yourself for up to three categories.
Sustainability Awards categories
Energy Efficiency & Impact
Embodied carbon – the emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of products and materials – typically account for the largest portion of a tech device’s carbon footprint. For example, research shows that over 80% of a laptop’s lifetime footprint is created before it even reaches a user.
Meanwhile, energy use during a device’s life remains a critical challenge. Estimates suggest that user devices now account for more global electricity consumption than networks and data centres combined and this is expected to increase in the next five to ten years.
This category recognises businesses that are taking decisive action to reduce both embodied and operational carbon emissions – from smarter design and material choices to improving the energy efficiency of devices when in use.
Circular Design & Product Longevity
The tech industry is characterised by rapid innovation and frequent product obsolescence. As newer, more advanced devices enter the market, older models are often discarded, contributing to a growing e-waste crisis.
The disposal of this waste is a major concern, particularly as many electronic devices contain hazardous materials, like lead, mercury and cadmium, which can pollute soil and water if not properly disposed of. Designing products with short lifespans also accelerates resource depletion and encourages unsustainable patterns of consumption.
This category celebrates companies embracing circular economy principles, designing products for longevity, repair and reuse, and with closed-loop material recovery, helping to reduce waste and extend product life cycles
Digital Inclusion
Digital inclusion is a critical sustainability challenge with social implications. While 95% of the global population has the theoretical potential to access the internet, almost half remain offline, often due to limited digital skills, financial barriers or lack of infrastructure. Bridging these gaps is essential to ensuring equitable access to technology.
This category celebrates initiatives that are helping to close the digital divide by making tech more accessible, affordable and inclusive for underrepresented or underserved communities.
Ethical Materials & Responsible Sourcing
The production of devices requires extracting and processing various natural resources, including precious metals like gold, silver and tantalum. Mining for these metals often has significant consequences for the environment, leading to deforestation, pollution and habit destruction.
In addition, the use of “conflict minerals”, such as tantalum, tungsten and gold, has historically helped fund armed conflicts and fuelled severe human rights abuses in regions where mining is poorly regulated. Opaque and complex supply chains can also allow unethical labour practices to persist unchecked.
This category celebrates businesses that are working to tackle these systemic challenges by committing to ethical material sourcing, upholding fair labour standards, and championing transparency and traceability throughout their supply chains.
Tech for Good
This refers to the use of technology to address pressing social, environmental and humanitarian challenges and to create positive impact in the world. It encompasses various initiatives, projects and innovations that leverage technology to improve people’s lives, protect the planet and promote sustainability and equity.
Whether through supporting environmental conservation or driving innovation to address complex global issues, this category celebrates companies that are harnessing the potential of technology for positive change.
Watch out for the full launch of the TechRadar Sustainability Awards in May, and don’t forgot to express your interest via the link here.
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