Commercial Integrator May 2023 - 29

of building awareness, noting that the
increasing number of people interested
in SAVe means " ...more than anything. "
She adds, " I think we're taking the right
steps to making that an actionable [plan]. "
In Perkins' opinion, the mounting number
of partnerships between SAVe and other
AV organizations is a huge indicator that
people really do want to get involved.
" And that's probably the biggest thing we
need at this point, " she says.
The Value of Partnerships
Picking up on Perkins' point, De Bono
attests that partnerships have, in fact,
helped further SAVe's mission. " We have
established a partnership with HETMA
[Higher Education Technology Managers
Alliance], led by Joe Way at USC, who took
it to next level, " she says. " I remember Joe
said that we need to bring this to other
higher-education institutions, as they
can help play a big role. " According to
De Bono, USC participated in the SAVe
certifi cation program last November and
is now the fi rst higher-education institution
to be SAVe certifi ed. " In fact, " she adds,
" Raj Singh, who is in charge of design and
engineering for USC, is now part of the
SAVe: A Second Life Committee, and he is
helping us put together guidelines for for
best practices around reuse, repurpose,
recycling and proper disposal of AV equipment. "
According to De Bono, HETMA
members will also participate in the SAVe
certifi cation program, thereby further
expanding SAVe's sustainability outreach.
Another program SAVe recently
launched is the Ambassador Program.
" We were amazed by the response from
AV integration leaders from across the
world! " De Bono enthuses. " We have
around six offi cial ambassadors right now.
One is from Colombia, and another is from
Mexico. So, it's really approaching that
global level. "
Williamson, as co-chair of partnerships
and alliances at SAVe, underlines the impact
of fi nding partners. Noting that it also aligns
with goal #17 (partnerships for the goals),
she adds that the partnerships have to align
with the SDGs and help to meet them. " I
think it's important to have a game plan and
have the alliances set up so that it's not just
commercialintegrator.com
'green washing,' but actually helps deliver a
purpose, " Williamson advises.
Returning to recycling, Williamson
recounts how, aſt er the SAVe certifi cation
workshop, her team partnered with a
certifi ed recycler to ensure proper waste
disposal. " We wanted a valuable and reputable
partner, " she says. " And this company
had a full program for repurposing, reselling
or donating all secondhand electronic
equipment to schools or organizations that
need them. " The cherry on top? That recycler,
too, is taking on the SAVe certifi cation
program aſt er having witnessed its impact
on Tempest Technologies.
Partnership Cultivation
Summing things up, De Bono underscores
a key point: " This is an industry where we
alone can't make the changes that are
needed. And, so, we need to be cultivating
these partnerships. " Moreover, she
adds, such partnerships are also crucial as
they help build the momentum of change
and elevate awareness of the SDGs. " It
is only together that we can make big
strides, " De Bono declares.
Speaking of our industry, Williamson
notes, " We're huge contributors to
the problem, and we cannot ignore it
anymore. " Emphasizing that the time to
act is now, she adds, " Sustainability is not
just a nice to have - it is a must have. "
Thus, she advocates for taking ownership
and committing to a greater cause. At the
same time, Williamson acknowledges the
challenge that all this presents. " It's hard
work because we're asking people to
change the way they do business to really
meet what we are doing, " she astutely
observes. However, Williamson remains
optimistic about the industry willingly
taking on a more active role in championing
sustainability eff orts. " Overall, it's
heartening to see how embraced we
are and how people are coming forward
to really bring awareness, " she says. " It
gives me some hope that there is a better
future for us. "
Likewise, De Bono champions this call
for action. " All the issues of the climate
crisis are interrelated in our industry, " she
explains. " But, as a whole, we're really
behind. If we don't achieve these goals,
the future of our humanity and our planet
is at stake. "
De Bono, however, acknowledges that
the younger generation has stepped up
and voiced their concerns about the need
to address the climate crisis. " They really
want to be a part of the solution, " De Bono
says. " They've realized that we cannot
continue operating the way we have in the
past, so they're now looking to actively
solve [the problem] and change the way
we live. " Noting that the entire mission of
SAVe is volunteer driven, De Bono states
that there are several ways to become
involved. " As an independent non-profi t
organization, we have plenty of volunteer
E-Waste Accumulation
Statistics
› 59 million tons of e-waste created
in 2019 alone.
› Increased by 21% in the last fi ve
years.
› 90 million tons of e-waste predicted
by 2030.
› Only 20% of e-waste is actually
recycled.
opportunities available at hand, " she says.
" And as these volunteers grow, so, too,
does the organization. "
The undeniable fact here is that, to
see the change, we must be the change.
Perkins harks back to her previous point
about people being involved and urges
everyone to step up, help and join these
initiatives. She adds, " If we don't address
this, we're not going to have a planet to
live on anymore. So, why not start where
we can have the most direct impact in our
daily lives? " CI
MAY 2023 Commercial Integrator 29
STOKKETE/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.commercialintegrator.com
Commercial Integrator May 2023

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