A Comprehensive Guide to Responsible E-Waste Disposal for Businesses

Understanding E-Waste Regulations and Compliance

In response to the growing e-waste crisis in the United States and globally, many jurisdictions have enacted e-waste bans and/or data disposal laws that directly affect how businesses must dispose of redundant IT assets. One example in the United States is the e-waste disposal law enacted in California.

Another important regulation enacted in 2018 by the European Union that affects American businesses operating in a commercial capacity with personally identifiable information on EU residents is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Large fines and penalties can be imposed for non-compliance and improper data disposal that leads to a data breach may display a lack of due diligence and non-compliance with data protection regulations.

Assessing Your E-Waste

Not all e-waste necessarily contains sensitive data, but many IT assets do have sensitive data and as such it is essential to categorize e-waste with the aid of an IT asset inventory. Every asset should be thoroughly assessed based on its condition and its lifecycle, which will in turn facilitate data disposal.

Developing an E-Waste Management Plan

Any business that generates e-waste must have a robust IT asset management plan in place, which sets forth actionable goal and objectives with regards to e-waste disposal. Key stakeholders must be nominated or appointed as responsible personnel for e-waste management, as well as acting as a liaison with any external IT asset disposition (ITAD) service providers.

E-Waste Collection and Storage

Typically, e-waste collection and storage are best left to qualified third-party electronics recyclers and ITAD companies such as Wisetek. While the ITAD company can collaborate with your organization to determine the preferred solutions for collecting and disposing of your e-waste, it is also important to consider factors such as interim storage of redundant IT assets, policies for employees handing over inoperative devices, and secure logistics if the data destruction is scheduled to take place off-premises.

Data Security and Destruction

Environmentally sustainable alternatives to data disposal should be an important consideration within businesses, but data security must remain a priority in order to protect the business against data breaches. Anyone that gets their hands on a discarded hard drive that perhaps hasn’t been encrypted could cause a data breach costing millions of dollars. Consider the methods of data destruction provided by your ITAD provider, such as physical hard drive destruction and degaussing.

Recycling and Refurbishment Options

While there are many electronics recyclers that can process large volumes of business e-waste, it is essential to always choose certified recyclers in the US and wherever else the business may operate internationally. Moreover, alternatives to landfill waste should always be considered, including refurbishment and remarketing, for example. The EPA provides a helpful diagram outlining the typical life cycle of e-waste as well as solutions that create more of a circular economy, something which Wisetek provides to clients.

Donating and Reselling E-Waste

Whenever feasible and possible to do so, e-waste should be refurbished and remarketed to create a circular economy that minimizes needless waste. Wisetek has implemented a Sustainable Earth initiative as well as an environmental policy that focuses on refurbishment and remarketing, and for any IT assets with no residual value we operate a Zero Landfill Policy and will recycle the assets rather than send them to a landfill.

Hazardous Materials Management

Metals and minerals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and many others are present in just about all modern electronics in trace amounts. These can all pose a serious hazard to the environment, which is one of the primary reasons why e-waste should always be recycled or reused rather than discarded in landfills.

Reporting and Documentation

All processes should be traceable, accountable, and auditable so that organizations have a clear and transparent record of every single IT asset processed. This includes obtaining certificates of data destruction, video evidence of IT asset destruction, and chains of custody.

E-Waste Awareness and Employee Training

Environmental sustainability initiatives should be shared with not only the key stakeholders within a business, but it should also include all employees. Provide employees with adequate training on how to report faulty or defective IT assets, who to contact for collection of corporate devices, and how to safeguard sensitive data.

Manage E-Waste Professionally with ITAD Services from Wisetek

Wisetek is your ideal ITAD partner for professional IT asset disposition in the United States and worldwide. Our sustainable and environmentally friendly IT asset disposal as well as our secure data destruction processes help businesses remain compliant while also yielding maximum ROI on redundant IT assets.

For more information, please contact enquiries@wisetekusa.com or visit our website. 

You might also be interested in the following articles: 

How to Safely & Securely Dispose of Old Laptops 

Data Destruction: Safeguarding Your Business in the Electronic Recycling Process 

The Environmental Impact of our Digital Devices