E-waste recycling: Effective Ways To Recycle Your Business’s E-WasteE-waste is responsible for 70% of all toxic waste in U.S. landfills, according to Do Something. The nation’s businesses are behind much of this e-waste, as they typically replace their computer hardware every couple of years in great quantity. But rather than allowing your business to add to this global e-waste problem, you should embrace these profitable recycling initiatives.
Sell retrieved scrap metals
You’ll find a variety of metals in electronic equipment like computers. These metals typically include copper, aluminum, iron and precious metals, including silver and gold. At present, just 15% of the precious metals used in electronics are recovered. So rather than dumping your business’s e-waste at the nearest landfill site, take the time to extract it from the device. You can then check the latest scrap metal prices in your area and sell it on for a profit. Not only will this benefit planet, but it’s advantageous for your business profits too, as new laptops contain an average of $25 worth of gold.
Safe recycling with Dell
Business security is a crucial thing to consider when you’re disposing of your old electronics. On an average, hackers attack every 39 seconds, and unsafely dumping your electronics can heighten the risk of falling into the wrong hands and your business being hacked. Thankfully, Dell offers an on-site data wipe service so you can be sure that your sensitive data has been wiped for good. They’ll then remove the computer hardware and arrange for it to be exported to developing countries to be recycled. While you won’t directly benefit financially, you can rest assured that you won’t fall victim to a costly data breach by using this scheme.
Earn points with Terracycle
Terracycle is an easy-to-use program that accepts business e-waste, including laptops, netbooks and cellphones. All you have to do is sign up for their e-waste program and send off your old items to the company. They will then melt the plastic waste and recover any metals via smelting. From there, it will be recycled and made into new items. Every time you recycle an electronic with Terracycle, you’ll earn points that can then be donated to a non-charitable organization of your choice. This will demonstrate that you’re a responsible local business that’s willing to help those most in need.
If your business is producing a large quantity of e-waste on a regular basis, it’s time to take action. Thankfully, there are multiple ways you can reduce the impact of your organization’s e-waste on the environment, and you can even help local charities out in the process too.