So you’ve finally cleaned out that closet and found a bunch of old electronics, but what do you do with them? You probably shouldn’t throw them away with the regular trash since the US is facing a large e-waste problem. So the answer is to donate them to an electronics recycler, but which business should you use?
You may have seen in the news lately that not all electronic recyclers are responsible. Take for instance Total Reclaim, which had been for years sending their electronics to Hong Kong where their toxins were put into their local ecosystem. Sadly this is not an unusual case, a study found through GPS tracking that 40% of all US electronics recyclers were shams and sent their e-waste to developing countries in Asia and Africa. So who should you trust? What should you look for in an electronics recycler?
Certification
A responsible electronics recycler will certainly have certifications to prove they have good recycling and business practices. Many of these certifications require an intensive audit process. An electronics recycler that truly cares for the environment, e-waste, and their employees will likely have the following certifications:
The R2 standard was created by a number of organizations including the EPA. It is designed to help ensure that recyclers are using the best-practices to recycle and reuse the electronics they receive. It also helps recyclers find the right business, or downstream recyclers, to send the raw materials gathered from your donated electronics. A downstream recycler that is R2 certified will help guarantee that these materials do not end up in a landfill.
The ISO 14001 is a set of standards that relate to environmental management. This standard is aimed at helping businesses minimize any negative environmental impacts, comply with various laws and regulations, and integrate environmental management into their general business strategy. Basically, this standard is meant to help make businesses more environmentally conscious from top to bottom.
These two sets of standards deal with workplace health and safety management systems. Essentially these standards help businesses make sure that their workplace is safe for its employees which then means it is also safe for their customers. Certified business will ensure that employees have proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), run regular fire drills, analyze the safety of the workplace environment, and focus on such practices.
Westech Recyclers proudly has acquired these certifications and can be viewed here.
Company History
A trustworthy electronics recycler will likely have been in business for a long time having served the local economy, environment, and community. Westech Recyclers has been serving the Arizona community for over 20 years. During that time Westech has participated in free recycling events where local residents can donate any of their old electronics for Westech to recycle and reuse. Westech has been involved in improving the community especially at an educational level, providing computers for a class for students with autism. Westech Recyclers is also on the board of Keep Phoenix Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, which promotes recycling, gardening, and other eco-friendly activities.
Expertise
A reputable electronics recycler will be an expert, able to provide a wide range of services. One such service is IT Asset Disposition, a full service solution for recycling or disposing decommissioned electronics for business. An ITAD vendor will understand how to securely destroy data that is private to individuals or businesses as per certain guidelines like the NIST 800-88. A strong recycling business will also be able to handle a variety of electronics. They will also offer certificates of recycling or destruction which provide an audit trail for your business if needed.
Transparency
Certification, expertise, and such are good but sometimes nothing beats seeing the day to day operations. A reputable recycler is transparent about its operations. Proper recycling requires physical labor and the more organized and efficient the operations then the more likely the recycler will not be cutting corners.
Westech Recyclers is able to offer all of these services and more. Please feel free to check our community events page for our next event or contact us here.