Computer equipment recycling and IT recycling are an important aspect of any organization’s sustainable waste management. Today businesses are encouraged to dispose of IT equipment through environmentally responsible methods. There are also government regulations now in place which are designed to help deal with hazardous waste.
Companies are searching for new ways to recycle computer and IT equipment because recycling reduces the volume of waste which the company produces. This waste generally ends up in landfill sites and in worst case scenarios get dumped illegally. When companies recycle IT equipment the amount of raw material needed to manufacture new products is also decreased. In the end this helps with costs of new equipment because manufacturers can keep their prices reasonable. This is more cost effective and convenient for the end user.
It is also important to note that recycled or refurbished computing equipment can benefit people and organizations that cannot always afford to buy new IT equipment.
Companies can recycle many different parts of any IT system. Particularly monitors, PCs and servers can be recycled most usefully. Computer peripherals, like printers or scanners, can also be successfully recycled as well. Landlines and mobile phones are other examples of equipment that can be recycled.
Of course there are some elements of an IT system that must be recycled with a certain amount of expertise. For example, PCs tend to have heavy metals in their circuit boards.
A PC is generally made up of plastic (23%), ferrous metals (32%), non-ferrous metals (18%), electronic boards (12%), and glass (15%).
One single computer can contain up to 2kg of lead. Because PCs are a complex mixture of many different types of material it can make them difficult to recycle.
It is advisable that companies contact their waste contractor in order to get advice on how they can best handle their waste. This information will vary from company to company.
In addition to this, there are a large number of disposal specialists which are primarily geared for recycling computer equipment. These companies are easy to find either through web searches or through your regular waste company.
It is also possible to dispose of IT equipment by returning it to the original manufacture. Many manufactures such as Dell and HP offer recycling centers and services which will recover IT equipment and recycle it securely and responsibly. In these locations the equipment can be de-manufactured (taken apart) and then everything can be sorted according to the type or material. Certain materials like steel or aluminum is then recycled to make new products. The non-reusable substances will then be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Because there are laws in place specifically dealing with the responsible disposal of IT equipment, it is important that companies remain compliant with these laws and look into the best possible way to recycle or reuse IT equipment. Today maintaining a reputation of environmental soundness and responsibility is important to your company’s entire presence.
It is important that on an ongoing basis businesses maintain a healthy, secure date management strategy so that when it is time to dispose of IT equipment the information has been wiped, and securely stored elsewhere. If this task is handled properly on an ongoing basis, there will be little problem when it is time to dispose of IT equipment.
In addition to recycling IT equipment, there is also the option to donate used or outdated equipment. Many charitable organizations and non-profits accept these donations. Recycle IT equipment and get yourself space, help others get useful equipment, and keep the environment clean!
If you would like to learn more about IT equipment recycling, contact Big Data Supply Inc at 1(800) 905-7329 or fill out our short form. We recycle data tape products, servers, disk array, tape media, libraries, hard drives like old hard drives from Hitachi or SanDisk and most other high-end peripherals that go along with these, and can recommend recyclers for monitors and PCs.
