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  "path": "/2026/06/19/how-our-move-to-govprint-is-delivering-sustainability-and-social-value/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-19T09:47:22.000Z",
  "site": "https://sustainableict.blog.gov.uk",
  "tags": [
    "minimise waste and maximise the value of resources",
    "Defra Digital Sustainability Strategy",
    "check out our LinkedIn page for all the latest news, stories and job openings",
    "Subscribe to the blog"
  ],
  "textContent": "John Dare explains how GovPrint, our new managed print service, shows that we’re doing more than replacing old devices. By partnering with the Ministry of Justice and DSA Connect, we’re turning end-of-life printers into an opportunity to deliver zero landfill waste while supporting rehabilitation and employment.\n\n## A service change with a bigger opportunity\n\nWhen we started transitioning to GovPrint, our focus was on improving the print experience for colleagues and simplifying our estate.\n\nBut we quickly saw an opportunity to go further.\n\nReplacing thousands of devices across an organisation like Defra raises an important question: what happens to the equipment we no longer need? Instead of treating that as a routine disposal exercise, we wanted to find a way to deliver better environmental and social outcomes through the choices we make.\n\n## Reducing our print estate\n\nOne of the most immediate benefits of GovPrint is a reduction in the number of devices we operate.\n\nFewer printers mean lower energy use, reduced emissions, and less consumption of ink and paper over time. This aligns directly with Defra’s ambition to reduce its environmental footprint and make better use of resources.\n\nWhile that’s an important step, it’s only part of the story.\n\n## Rethinking what happens to old devices\n\nRather than following a traditional disposal route, we partnered with the Ministry of Justice and DSA Connect to take a different approach.\n\nEnd-of-life devices are sent to prison workshops at HMP Highpoint South and HMP The Mount, where they are dismantled by hand into individual components.\n\nEach device is tracked through a digital system, and materials are carefully sorted into plastics, metals, glass, toner and circuit boards. These materials are then reused, sold on, or recycled through specialist partners.\n\nThe result is clear: almost all materials are recovered, with zero landfill waste from devices processed through the programme.\n\n## Delivering social value alongside sustainability\n\nWhat makes this approach particularly powerful is that it does more than reduce environmental impact.\n\nThe prison workshops are designed to create employment opportunities and support rehabilitation. Participants develop practical, transferable skills in areas such as electronics, logistics, and materials management.\n\nThe programme has already grown from an initial group of participants to a larger, multi-site operation, reflecting both demand and success.\n\nWe are also seeing real outcomes. At least one participant has secured employment on release, with support from DSA Connect.\n\nEmployment is one of the most important factors in reducing reoffending, so the benefits of this work extend well beyond the prison environment and into communities.\n\n## Putting our values into practice\n\nDefra’s Outcomes Framework includes a clear commitment to minimise waste and maximise the value of resources.\n\nFor us, GovPrint is a practical example of how we can deliver against that commitment through day-to-day operational decisions.\n\nBy choosing a disposal route that achieves zero landfill while supporting rehabilitation and job opportunities, we are aligning our internal operations with the values we promote externally.\n\nIt shows that sustainability and social value don’t have to sit alongside service delivery — they can be built into it.\n\n## What we’ve learned so far\n\nAs the GovPrint rollout continues, a few lessons are already clear:\n\n  * service changes can create wider opportunities if we look beyond the immediate technical need.\n  * partnerships across government and industry can unlock greater impact.\n  * social value can be embedded into operational delivery, not treated as an add-on.\n\n\n\nMost importantly, asking what good looks like at the start leads to better outcomes overall.\n\n## What comes next\n\nThe GovPrint rollout is ongoing, and as more sites transition to the new service, more devices will be processed through this model.\n\nPlans are in place for us to scale the programme further, increasing both the number of participants and the volume of devices handled.\n\nThis will allow us to extend both the environmental and social benefits of the approach.\n\n* * *\n\n## Find out more\n\nJohn Dare is a project manager in Defra Digital Data Technology and Security.\n\nCurious about digital sustainability in Defra? Read the Defra Digital Sustainability Strategy.\n\nIf you're interested in finding out more about what we do check out our LinkedIn page for all the latest news, stories and job openings. While you're there, why not give us a follow?\n\nLike what you read? Subscribe to the blog for all the latest updates.",
  "title": "How our move to GovPrint is delivering sustainability and social value",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-19T09:47:30.000Z"
}