Equipment Recycling
How to Properly Manage Your Old Electronic Equipment
A Guide for Consumers and Businesses
Over the last two decades, rapid advances in technology have led to a dramatic increase in our reliance on electronic products. Televisions, computers, wireless phones, copiers, fax machines, telephones, and VCRs, are just some of the electronics that have become a central part of our everyday lives.
As product innovations multiply and electronic product use increases, the lifespan of electronic equipment has shrunk. Televisions and fax machines may operate for many years, but several electronic products quickly become obsolete when newer, quicker, or better equipment and software hit the shelves. Expensive products are suddenly worth little or nothing, even though we may not want to admit it. As a consumer or a business owner, the question emerges of what to do with old electronic equipment that no longer fully meets your needs and has little residual value.
The purpose of this guide is to encourage you to talk to Datajockeys, LLC about reuse and recycle of old electronic equipment. Doing so will help others and help the environment.
Questions to Consider
Whether you are an individual with a single item or a small business with many different types of electronics, you should ask a reuse organization or a recycler questions about what will happen to your electronic equipment. The following are some questions to consider when selecting an electronics reuse or recycling organization:
- What does the organization do with the electronic equipment it receives? Does it refurbish the equipment and sell it to another user? Does it dismantle the equipment and sell the disk drives, memory chips, and other components? Does it send materials to a metals reclamation plant or smelter? Does it process the plastic, metal, and glass for shipment to other companies that use the materials to produce recycled products?
- How much of the equipment does the organization send to disposal (landfill or incinerator)? If some material is sent to disposal, who is responsible for paying related transportation and disposal costs?
- If donated, does the organization provide you with documentation of your donation, so that you may apply it toward your federal tax return?
- Does the organization have the necessary state and local permits or otherwise meets the relevant state and federal requirements for transporting and handling hazardous materials and end-of-life electronic equipment?
- Does the recycler have a documented hazardous waste disposal plan?
- Does the organization export or broker for export used electronic equipment? If so, consider the following information:
Some U.S. electronics recycling companies export end-of-life electronic equipment to less-developed foreign countries. Scrap materials are often exported because the recipient country has lower processing costs. Lower processing costs are often attributable to lower labor costs. However, the recipient country may also have less protective environmental standards.
Because some electronic products contain hazardous constituents, firms that export equipment or scrap materials to less developed countries may need to comply with applicable international laws and agreements on the export of hazardous substances. Equipment that is sent to foreign countries to be reused for its original purpose is subject to less stringent standards than scrap materials. If a recycler plans to export materials, you should ask if the recycler plans to meet notice and consent procedures specified under international laws and bilateral agreements.
Making Electronic Product Recycling Easier in the Future
One way to make recycling electronic products easier is to make wise purchasing decisions. Instead of buying new electronic products, consider repairing or upgrading your current system. If you decide to buy new equipment, ask the equipment manufacturer about reuse and recycling options such as product take-back programs. To promote the use of reused and recycled products, purchase equipment designed for easy repair and upgrade. Purchase higher end equipment if possible. It often has a longer lifespan and if you decide to upgrade, there is a better chance of someone else being able to use it vs scraping the unit.
IMPORTANT!
- Media must be properly erased before leaving your premises. Just deleting files is not enough to protect your data!
- Be sure to check the equipment for passwords written on them. You will be surprised how many passwords we find taped under keyboards!
Resources:
EPA
Oregon DEQ
E-Tech Recycling
ECO Binary
Free Geek