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Green Technology Best Practices: What are your tips for recycling outdated equipment and technology?
Please list, in detail, 3 tips or best practices that you would like to share with the Focus community on recycling outdated equipment and technology. High quality contributions will be included in an upcoming report on green technology, and will receive significant promotion on the Focus network.
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6 Answers
I agree with Richard as well -
1) Extend the usable life. If you can't upgrade the equipment for continued use in your organization or re-deploy it for a function that doesn't need the latest and greatest, ensure that your equipment gets another life to the extent possible. You can do that by remarketing it or donating it - in either case you want to use an IT Asset Disposition provider that will 1) ensure that your data is destroyed and can provide you an audit trail and verification; 2) ensure that the equipment is refurbished and supplied with usable software such as is available by Microsoft Authorized Refurbishers - for charitable institutions, providing a new legitimate operating system license and Office software is made extremely affordable and attests to the usability of the equipment; 3) ensure proper take-back by an e-stewards certified provider.
2) Take care with all data bearing assets - computers of all sorts, cell phones, pdas, scanners, printers and copy machines. Scanners, printers and copiers often keep copies of what they scan/copy. They're also very susceptible network devices as they often go unpatched and are security risks even before you decide to get rid of them. You want to use an e-stewards certified organization because beyond ensuring that nothing will go to landfill, be incinerated or shipped abroad, they ensure that no prison labor is used in processing your equipment. Your data in the hands of prisoners is something you need to ensure doesn't happen.
3) Get full accountability for everything that gets recycled - a good provider can tell you exactly how much plastic, how much cadmium, how much of every commodity comes out of your recycled equipment - if they can't, you should wonder where it all went...
#1 Extend life of equipment through internal re-use or donation to another party that will actually use it (and eventually dispose of it properly). Getting more life out of existing gear is the most eco-responsible thing you can do. Many things that are "outdated" for one use can find a new life in another place doing something else.
#2 When disposing of gear for "e-cycling" or "de-manufacturing" make sure that you actually know what is happening to the equipment you give them. Ideally use only an e-Stewards certified organization or a local organization where you can verify what they are actually doing with the e-waste they collect. http://e-stewards.org/
#3 Make sure that your company and your vendor has a policy and program for data security management on all gear that will leave your facilities or be handed over by an employee to another person (like Smart phones). Anything that processes data or images is a potential liability.
At Vision Computer Solutions we offer these 3 suggestions for disposal of your old computer equipment in a globally responsible manner:
1) Re-USE - Pass it on
If you’re replacing your computer because you simply want something newer and faster, maybe someone else could use it!
Many times, we know people who simply would like to have a computer to keep up with friends and family with social networking or email. These people don’t need the newest or fastest computer to check email and browse the internet, and could probably get along just fine with an older computer. A student could use a computer for homework and research, or a company that just went through a technology refresh could donate the computers to its employees as a perk or benefit.
This is a great way to recycle equipment as it keeps working machines out of landfills and lets someone else benefit from an asset that still may have some life!
2) Re-CYCLE – Using a globally responsible recycle location
There are many recycling centers that will take old computer equipment for little or no charge. The challenge with some is that they simply export the computers to fill up landfills in developing nations. This is still hurting our planet, even if it isn’t hurting our local environment. However, a small amount of research will easily result in finding a local recycling center that will recycle old equipment in a globally responsible manner.
One organization that we at Vision have found useful is e-Stewards. This is an organization that requires recycling companies they certify to follow responsible recycling standards. Certified firms do not export to developing nations and many will reuse or refurbish the equipment. For more information on this organization and their standards, and to find a certified recycling location near you, point your browser to: http://e-stewards.org/.
3) Re-TURN - Take advantage of a Manufacturer Take Back Program
Many manufacturers and even electronics stores are now offering a take back program. Best Buy has recently started the Buy Back Program. If you buy a product from Best Buy and also purchase the Buy Back Program, you can bring your working product back when you are ready to upgrade it and they will give you a Best Buy gift card for the product’s redemption value.
Most computer manufacturers are getting involved with their own take back programs as well. Dell will take back anything with the Dell name on it for free. They even offer collection sites in many states where you can simply drop your Dell branded equipment off and they will take care of sending it back to Dell. HP may even compensate individuals for old equipment if it still retains value beyond a certain threshold.
Lenovo also offers a free mail back program. Apple recycles old computer equipment as well. Apple branded devices can be returned, and if the device has reuse value, Apple will send out a gift card. Apple even accepts non-Apple branded products for recycling with the purchase of an Apple branded replacement product.
See the links below for more information about the above mentioned programs:
Apple - http://www.apple.com/recycling/computer/
Best Buy - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Misc/Buy-Back-Program/pcmcat230000050010.c?id=pcm...
Dell Consumer - http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/recycling/en/produ...
Dell Business - http://content.dell.com/us/en/enterprise/by-service-type-configuration-and-de...
Lenovo - http://www.lenovo.com/social_responsibility/us/en/usconsumerrecycling.html
HP - http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/recycling/unwanted-har...
For a list of all manufacturers that offer a take back program visit the following webpage - http://www.electronicstakeback.com/how-to-recycle-electronics/manufacturer-ta...
Charles Lobert
Director of Technology
Vision Computer Solutions
http://www.vcsolutions.com
Richards advice is great. Reuse - Recycle - Reduce - Recover are all mantra's you can utilise to incorporate a e-waste program into your company, no matter what the size.
For Australian readers, I found that recycling my old Nokia at the Australian Post was the easiest option for me as their network is extensive (thus easy to access).
Carol, I'm trying to locate the slide presentation from your talk today, which was excellent! Does anybody know where it can be found on this site?
Thanks!
Hi Terrell,
You can view Carol's slide presentation in the On-Demand version of the Focus Interactive Summit - Green IT Innovation – The Next Decade, which will be available tomorrow, 2/16. You can log in ( https://vts.inxpo.com/Launch/Event.htm?ShowKey=4044) with the login credentials you used for the live event.
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