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PRESS RELEASE: Pathfinder partners with Sun Screen IT to tackle IT waste and digital inequality

  • Kieran Delaney
  • Mar 17
  • 4 min read

Chester, UK - 18th March 2025 - Chester based IT recruitment specialists Pathfinder have announced a global partnership with sustainable IT solutions provider Sun Screen IT, marking a major step in integrating IT recruitment with circular technology practices. The collaboration gives businesses a way to redirect outdated IT equipment into sustainable reuse, reducing landfill, preventing harmful scrap hunting, and supporting digital education in disadvantaged communities.


Through this initiative, Pathfinder is enabling businesses to ensure old technology is refurbished, repurposed, or ethically recycled rather than discarded. Profits from refurbished equipment will go towards funding IT labs in underprivileged regions, starting with Nepal.


As part of this partnership, Pathfinder has also committed to donating a portion of every recruitment fee to digital education projects - creating a direct link between business hiring decisions and global sustainability impact.


From IT recruitment to sustainable leadership


Pathfinder’s directors, Kieran Delaney and Rich Jones, have long been invested in environmental and conservation issues, with firsthand experience of human impact on natural ecosystems. Rich, a competitive sailor ranked among the top 10 in the world in the Flying 15 class, has witnessed the effects of pollution on marine environments, while Kieran’s extensive travels have exposed him to both global waste challenges and the dedication of those working to solve them.


After meeting Nathaniel Comer, founder of Sun Screen IT, the Pathfinder team recognised an opportunity to change the conversation around IT waste - not just to raise awareness, but to take action.


Nathaniel Comer said:"The decision Pathfinder has made to proactively donate, champion, and grow our IT environmental and education mission demonstrates a truly visionary example of leadership within the IT recruitment market, and will enable every person they place to bring a fresh pair of eyes to spot IT sustainability wins "


Kieran Delaney added:“We work with IT decision-makers every day, the very people who can influence better choices in IT sustainability. The biggest challenge isn’t just the volume of e-waste - it’s the lack of awareness about where it ends up and how easy it is to shift from IT waste disposal to circularity and reuse. The best part is seeing business leaders realise they’ve had a commercial and environmental opportunity in front of them all along.”


Rich Jones commented:"We realised that Pathfinder wasn’t just in a position to talk about this issue, we were in a position to act. That’s why we’ve committed to donating from every placement fee and using our influence to drive conversations that lead to action."


The scale of the IT waste problem


With 80 percent of global electronic waste unaccounted for, and over $91 billion worth of reusable materials discarded each year, businesses face increasing pressure to address how they manage outdated IT assets. Many companies focus only on security and GDPR compliant data destruction, and default to existing IT disposal providers without questioning where their old devices go, inadvertently contributing to landfill pollution and informal e-waste dumping in developing nations.


By integrating responsible IT repurposing into the recruitment process, Pathfinder’s partnership with Sun Screen IT gives businesses a frictionless way to participate in the circular IT economy - ensuring technology is used for good rather than waste.


Through this initiative, businesses can:


  • Ensure IT equipment is repurposed instead of wasted

  • Prevent unsafe e-waste dumping in developing countries

  • Fund digital education and IT access for disadvantaged communities

  • Strengthen their sustainability commitments via detailed reporting without extra cost or operational burden


Long-term vision: a business-led approach to circular IT

This is just the beginning for Pathfinder. The company has outlined a long-term vision to reshape how UK businesses manage IT waste, embedding circular IT principles into both hiring and infrastructure planning. The company is also in discussions with key partners to support businesses in moving from sustainability ambition to full-scale adoption and implementation. As part of this approach, Pathfinder plans to fund multiple IT labs in underserved regions through a scalable, action-driven model, while continuing to support organisations in adopting more sustainable IT practices.


"For every recruiter at Pathfinder who hits their target, we can build an IT lab," Delaney added. "The bigger we grow, the more we can fund. Meanwhile, the more firms we engage in this conversation, the more Sun Screen IT can expand their work. It’s about making sustainability effortless for businesses while delivering real impact."


About Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a UK-based IT recruitment specialist, placing technology leaders, IT infrastructure professionals, and digital transformation experts into organisations across industries. Their mission extends beyond recruitment—Pathfinder is committed to integrating sustainability into business strategy, ensuring IT hiring also contributes to responsible technology reuse and digital inclusion.


About Sun Screen IT

Sun Screen IT is a leader in sustainable IT disposal, specialising in repurposing outdated technology and directing the proceeds toward digital education projects in disadvantaged communities. Their global ethical IT repurposing services provide businesses with a responsible alternative to traditional IT waste management.


Further information

For businesses looking to build high-performing IT teams while ensuring technology waste is repurposed—reducing landfill, stopping harmful scrap hunting, and supporting digital equality—contact:




 
 
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