The internet revolution brought major changes to businesses worldwide. We live in a completely different world than we did a decade ago, and the dinosaurs who would not, or could not make the changes necessary to thrive are now extinct.
Everyone still standing has adapted to a technology centric business approach. The next hurdle will be the consequences of break-neck technological growth. If you are just now considering Electronics Recycling for your business, then I have to warn you that you will have some ground to cover, but it's not too late.
Below I've listed 8 reasons smart business leaders choose to recycle their used electronics:
1. Electronics Are Toxic To The Environment
Many people may not know that the computers we use on a daily basis contain highly toxic chemicals. A lot of the items you use are toxic, even items such as batteries, used computer equipment, and leftover paints or pesticides.
Toxins are a problem. 12.2 million pounds of them came from the electronics industry in 2016, and that’s just in the United States. The global numbers for e-waste production are much worse, and growing.
Businesses purchase the majority of all computers sold world-wide, as consumers are purchasing fewer and fewer computers. The interest, attention and eyes on this issue grow by the day, and more and more the onus of liability and prevention falls on the business sector.
2. If You Are In The United States, proper e-waste recycling is the law
CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) or, the huge, heavy and boxy computer screens of days-gone-by, are already listed as Hazardous Waste by the EPA in the United States. This means that its illegal to dispose of them improperly.
Additionally, 25 states, plus the District of Columbia, currently have electronics recycling laws on the books, with even more bills and laws moving through state legislatures as we speak. With the majority of the US population located inside of these states, the chances of your business being subject to one of these electronics recycling laws today is high, with an inevitability factor of 100%.
Smart business leaders are already taking the initiative to get out ahead of these laws and regulations before it’s too late.
3. Recycling Alleviates Corporate Liability
Last year, Big Lots Stores Inc. paid 3.5 million dollars to settle a lawsuit alleging that the discount chain regularly disposed of electronic devices and other e-waste in trash bins bound for landfills.
Local governments are serious, environmental watchdog groups are serious, people are watching this issue and making sure that corporations are meeting their societal and environmental responsibilities on this issue. Business leaders ignore their e-waste problem at their own peril.
With free options for electronics recycling available nationwide from reputable business electronics recyclers, like STS Electronic Recycling, there is no reason to fall asleep at the wheel on this issue. STS even pays for most corporate IT Assets.
4. e-Waste Recycling Reduces The Likelihood Of Data Theft
MIT Researcher Simon Garfinkel with partner Abhi Shelat performed an experiment which they reported in IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine in which they bought 158 hard drives from government agencies, universities, and other secondary market vendors, only to find that fully one-third of the drives examined had readable and readily available personal and private information.
Auctioning or selling your equipment not only adds more work to your IT Department, work they probably aren’t typically tasked with (like getting the most value for your assets,) but opens up your business to possible data theft.
Don’t make this mistake, use a certified electronics recycler who is going to take your data security seriously. At STS, for example, we track every hard drive that enters our facility by serial number and in-house inventory barcode tag. We know where every hard drive is at all times, and create a certificate of destruction for every drive, which reports back to our proprietary real time auditing and tracking software, AuditLive.
5. View Your Outgoing IT Assets As A Revenue Stream
There is a market for your used IT equipment. The industry is called IT Asset Disposition, or ITAD, and at 12 billion dollars per year with 10% year over year growth, it’s a big one.
Your used business computers, laptops and servers are a valuable asset, and the revenue you receive from them can be added to other smart business decisions, like buying refurbished replacements from a certified refurbisher, like Discount Computer Depot, to lower the operating costs of your IT Department to practically zero.
6. Job Creation
Our modern economy demands the creation of new jobs when old jobs fade away; this is unavoidable because of the nature of innovation. Wheelwrights and horse-and-buggy makers had to find new jobs when the automobile took off. It’s the same concept today. Jobs in dying industries are being replaced by electronics recycling jobs. The recycling and refurbishing market creates 296 more jobs per 10,000 tons of computer waste processed, when compared to disposal in landfills by incinerators of the same quantity. This job creation is accelerated by new Federal and State mandates on e-waste recycling, which increases the total amount of electronics entering the recycling stream.
7. e-Waste Is An International Crisis
like conflict diamonds before it, e-waste has become a 3rd world goldrush and an international crisis. Just to get an idea of the scope of the problem, Interpol, the international police agency, estimated that 1 in 3 shipping containers leaving the EU that were checked by its agents contained illegal e-waste. These containers were certainly headed for 3rd world countries.
Most businesses want to know that they aren’t contributing to something as horrible as the e-waste crisis, and that’s why STS maintains a no landfill policy, and has built a network of certified trusted downstream partners. We back that promise up with regular inspections of our partners operations and books, so we know where and how our client’s electronics are being recycled.
8. Recycling Reduces The Technology Gap
What is the Technology Gap? 46% of the poorest households in the US still don’t own a computer. The technology gap describes that section of the population that are missing out on the benefits of having easy access to the internet and familiarity with how computers work.
Have you ever heard the expression “A rising tide lifts all ships?” An educated, more technologically equipped populous is an better educated, tech savvy pool of potential employees.
By decreasing the technology gap we strengthen our communities and our country, as well as reduce the amount of waste that enters the e-waste stream at the same time.
Final Thoughts and Take Away
And there you have it, 8 reasons your business should start recycling its electronics today, before you get left behind. If staying compliant with government regulations, building additional revenue streams, reducing liability and the possibility of intellectual property theft and promoting a culture of good corporate citizenship aren't reason enough to persuade you, don't forget that STS Electronic Recycling will provide this service to the majority of its clients for free.
Don't be a dinosaur who didn't adapt. If you need help creating an IT Asset Management Plan tailored to you and your company, STS has friendly Asset Management Specialists who can walk you through the process and make sure your Electronics Recycling plan meets all the specific needs of your business.
