18 June 2026 - How Liverpool John Moores University turned retired IT into student support
When IT equipment reaches the end of its first life, it can be easy to see it as a disposal problem. For Liverpool John Moores University, it became an opportunity to do something much more meaningful.
Working with DTP Group and HPE Financial Services, LJMU has taken a circular approach to retiring legacy IT equipment - securely refurbishing, remarketing and recycling assets in a way that reduces waste, recovers value and supports students directly.
Through DTP’s IT Asset Disposition services, the university has been able to give retired technology a second life while reinvesting the financial returns generated into LJMU’s Student Hardship Fund, helping students facing unexpected financial difficulties that could affect their studies.
Giving legacy technology a second life
As part of its infrastructure refresh, LJMU retired ageing HPE ProLiant Gen8 and Gen9 servers and moved to new HPE ProLiant Compute Gen12 servers.
Rather than treating the old infrastructure as waste, the university worked with DTP Group and HPE Financial Services to ensure its retired assets were handled securely, responsibly and with maximum value recovery in mind.
In total, 1,042 assets were sent for processing to be refurbished or responsibly recycled. This resulted in 254,359.51 kg of CO₂e savings, equivalent to around 630 people flying from London to New York.
It's a strong example of how end-of-life technology is able to continue creating value long after it has left the data centre.
Supporting students through circular IT
The financial returns generated through resale and buyback were reinvested into LJMU’s Student Hardship Fund, helping support students who need extra financial assistance during their studies.
What makes this project particularly powerful is that it connects IT lifecycle decisions to tangible outcomes for the university community.
“At Liverpool John Moores University, sustainability is embedded across everything we do, including how we manage and retire our technology” said Dr Peter Ashton, Chief Information Officer & Director of IT Services at Liverpool John Moores University.
“Working with HPE Financial Services and DTP Group enables us to securely and responsibly manage end-of-life IT equipment while reinvesting the value generated into initiatives like our Student Hardship Fund, delivering both environmental and social impact.”
Solving a practical challenge for the university
As an urban university, LJMU also needed a practical solution. Campus space is valuable, and storing decommissioned IT equipment long-term was not an option.
DTP Group and HPE Financial Services supported the university with rapid collection, certified data sanitisation, refurbishment and resale of reusable assets. This helped LJMU free up space, protect data, avoid unnecessary waste and gain clear visibility of the environmental value created.
Through HPE’s Circular Economy reporting, the university could see the measurable impact of its approach, including carbon savings and materials recovery.
This circular approach also supports LJMU’s wider sustainability ambitions. The university recently achieved a First-Class ranking in the 2025/2026 People & Planet University League, recognising its continued commitment to embedding sustainability across campus life.
Why this matters
Many institutions are under pressure to modernise technology while making budgets work harder and proving progress against sustainability goals.
End-of-use IT can play an important role in that. With the right process in place, retired devices, servers and infrastructure do not have to sit in storage or be treated as waste. They can be securely processed, refurbished where possible, responsibly recycled where needed, and turned into value that can be reinvested where it matters most.
“Customers are under pressure to do more with existing IT budgets,” said Maeve Culloty, President & CEO, HPE Financial Services.
“Our IT Asset Disposition services help organisations recover value from their end-of-use technology and reinvest it where it matters most. Our work with Liverpool John Moores University shows how a circular approach to IT can unlock financial value, along with sustainability and, here, social benefits too.”
Creating impact beyond IT
LJMU’s work with DTP Group and HPE Financial Services shows what responsible technology lifecycle management can achieve.
By securely refurbishing, remarketing and recycling retired IT equipment, the university has reduced waste, recovered financial value, created space on campus and reinvested funds into student support.
It is a brilliant example of circular IT in action: practical, measurable and genuinely impactful.
“We’re proud to have supported Liverpool John Moores University, a long standing and valued DTP client, on a project that shows technology can create a positive impact far beyond IT.
By giving retired equipment a second life, the university has not only reduced waste and recovered value but also reinvested funds into supporting students who need it most. It’s a great example of how sustainability, innovation and community impact can all work hand in hand.” Stuart Broadbent, Client Devices Director at DTP.
