Turning Business Phone Purchases into Circular Action
KPMG Netherlands is part of the global network of KPMG firms, providing audit, tax, and advisory services. The company has demonstrated a strong focus on innovation and compliance both within its own operations and in the solutions it offers to clients. As part of its internal circular IT strategy, the company partnered with Closing the Loop to turn phone procurement into measurable impact.
The Ambition
Circularity plays a central role in KPMG’s purpose-driven approach and is seen as a key enabler of the company’s broader efforts to reach its net-zero targets. The company’s ambition is to embed circularity into every layer of its operations, from strategy to the tools people use every day. To support this goal, KPMG developed a cross-functional action plan guided by a company-wide circularity scan.Â
KPMG aims to integrate circularity into its business operations, for instance, by reusing materials during office remodeling and refurbishing laptops when they are no longer in use. Mobile phones also stand out as a high-impact area: despite their size, they have a significant material footprint. With over 4,000 employees using business phones daily, they offer a visible and effective way to apply circular thinking.
The Solution
Through Closing the Loop’s One for One service, every new business phone purchased by KPMG is matched by the collection and responsible recycling of a scrap phone sourced from emerging African markets. The process requires no changes to existing operations: KPMG simply buys phones as usual, while Closing the Loop handles the equivalent collection and recycling behind the scenes.
This practical compensation model turns phone procurement into a meaningful circular action, offering a simple and tangible way to embed circularity into IT procurement without disrupting existing processes.
The Result
Over the past years, Closing the Loop has compensated more than 9,500 phones for KPMG, based on a standard three-year device lifespan that reflects typical business usage cycles.
The collaboration keeps delivering measurable social and environmental benefits, helping prevent electronic waste in the areas where it is most needed, and generating income and safer working conditions for thousands of local waste collectors in emerging markets.Â
Now embedded in the company’s circularity efforts, the partnership has been featured in internal communications and serves as a clear demonstration of KPMG’s commitment to becoming a more circular organization.
In Practice
For KPMG, One for One presented an opportunity to highlight their circularity efforts and share them with employees. A strong example is the International E-waste Day campaign, rolled out across all KPMG Netherlands offices. Â
Through internal communications, thousands of employees were informed about the long-standing partnership between KPMG and Closing the Loop and how their devices are directly linked to the collection and recycling of scrap devices. To make the campaign visible in everyday work settings, screensavers with QR codes were rolled out on employee devices, pointing colleagues to the key activities of the day. These were also displayed on screens around KPMG offices nationally.Â
Employees were invited to take part in an educational quiz covering KPMG’s circular impact and general e-waste topics. More than 100 employees participated, with the chance to win jewellery made from recycled materials by NoWa.
To bring the campaign to life on site, Closing the Loop team members were present at KPMG’s main office in Amstelveen, answering questions and engaging directly with employees throughout the day. This hands-on example helped turn a digital campaign into a tangible experience.
