Electronic waste or E-waste disposal can be a challenge even in these times when there is a global view focused on reducing negative environmental impact. It’s too easy to ignore the issue of proper e-waste disposal and recycling, but this is important for the environment. Rather than waiting on others to make a change, pursue responsible e-waste disposal and recycling on your own to prevent potential hazardous effects.
The Importance Of E-Waste Disposal
The world produces a lot of e-waste. A record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally in 2019, a 20% increase from 2018 when 48.9 million tonnes were discarded, according to a report by UN University’s Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Even more daunting is the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills each year. The EPA estimates that roughly 95% of electronics are thrown away without being recycled or disposed of properly, which is an environmental hazard in itself.
Benefits Of Proper E-Waste Disposal
It is important to dispose of your E-waste properly, not only for the environment but also for your own safety. It is estimated that about 50 million tons of e-waste are produced every year around the world, which means more than two pounds of electronics are being thrown away by each person on the planet every single day.
The reason why our landfills are flooded with e-waste is that people simply haven’t considered other alternatives to dumping equipment. It is imperative that we consider reuse, refurbish, reselling, renewing, and recycling as part of the e-waste disposal process. These processes give older equipment and components a new lease of life and have much less negative impact on the environment. They also have a fantastic price to performance ratio, meaning businesses that buys refurbished have a much healthier ROI.
How To Dispose Of E-Waste Safely
Clearing Personal Data
Regardless of what you want to dispose of, this should be your first step. Completely wipe data on a device or equipment before you consider it ready for disposal. Data breaches are not to be taken lightly whether be it individuals or businesses. Improper data wipes can result in data falling in the hands of people with malicious intent. If you aren’t sure what you need to do, opt for a third-party service that handles data wipes.
Reselling And Donating
Giving someone else the chance to make use of your hardware is great for the environment. As we move ahead with technology and planned obsolescence is more fact than myth, upgrades are becoming more incremental and do not add value.
This means there are fewer features with each iteration of the product. It stands to reason that if you are going to upgrade, you should ensure that someone else is able to make use of the equipment. Opt for professional asset recovery services from Aliter Networks.
Responsible Recycling
If your hardware has no scope to be reused, then the best option would be to recycle it. The materials used in electronic equipment are not biodegradable. They are hazardous to their environment when not disposed of appropriately. Accumulating these dangerous materials in landfills can have irreversible effects on its surroundings.
You can get in touch with Aliter to offload broken or unused electronic hardware. We can either refurbish or recycle them while ensuring proper disposal of materials that are non-biodegradable. As a B Corp, we are also in touch with a lot of charities that can make use of hardware that you do not need.
Aliter’s And E-Waste
Electronic equipment are seldom unusable – with proper precautions, adequate corrective action, and stringent testing, they can be made to perform just as well as their OEM counterparts.
Aliter has a “waste not, want not” approach to the process of e-waste disposal. We focus on reusing electronic hardware through refurbishment, aimed at maximizing the lifespan of equipment. Any component or equipment is put through our rigorous testing processes which ensure that only the most reliable hardware is shipped out to our customers. Finally, we offer complete coverage through our comprehensive Aliter lifetime warranty.
Aliter delivers a more meaningful alternative to reuse which can help your business navigate through tight budgets, and reduce spends on overpriced new hardware. For more information on related topics such as how refurbished equipment can positively impact your business and benefits of Circular IT, check out some of our other blog posts below.
