Downsizing Your Business? Dispose of E-Waste Properly With ITAD

Have you ever wondered what happens to electronics when they’re no longer used? If you’re a business owner, you’ve more than likely encountered this predicament, especially as more jobs went remote following the COVID-19 pandemic. Believe it or not, requires a lot more thought than simply dumping it in the trash. Here’s how to sustainably dispose of electronics and how ITAD services can assist you with the process.

What is E-Waste?

Otherwise referred to as “electronic waste,” “e-scrap,” or “end-of-life electronics,” e-waste is used to describe electronics coming to the end of their useful life. When electronics are no longer being used for their original purpose, they’re usually given to a recycler or donated. With that in mind, e-waste is considered recyclable and many used electronics can be refurbished for other purposes.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to keep track of discarded electronics coming to and from the United States. Even in locations with processing facilities, e-waste can become a significant source of environmental and medical harm. For example, workers overseeing acid baths or open-air burning may be exposed to extremely toxic substances.

What is IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)?

IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) is a direct response to e-waste, particularly technology that accumulates for businesses. It’s an industry term that focuses on reusing, recycling, and repurposing unwanted IT equipment in a sustainable manner. A business may have its own ITAD or outsource another company to complete the process for them.

The ultimate goal of ITAD is to keep unnecessary waste out of landfills and to reuse internal equipment within IT. This reduces plastics and keeps other harmful materials from affecting the environment. There are generally two main stages of decommissioning hardware. The equipment must first be wiped with all asset tags removed. After this is completed, the equipment will then be recycled or donated

Why is it Important to Properly Dispose of E-Waste?

Depending on their condition and density, certain electronic equipment may contain hazardous materials. Instead of adding electronics to landfills, it’s best to recycle what you can out of the IT equipment you already have. This can also be accomplished by repairing any IT equipment that’s in relatively good condition.

As for electronics that can’t be repaired, it’s best to follow the three “Rs:” reduce, reuse, and recycle. Being that many businesses are going remote or hybrid, now is the perfect time to limit the number of electronics you use in the first place. Reuse equipment by donating or selling it to others that may find it useful. Finally, since many electronic materials are reusable, always recycle before resorting to the trash bin.

ITAD Responsibilities

ITAD primarily focuses on recycling old electronics, securing data, and repairing hardware. They may also provide supplemental services such as data center decommissioning, data erasure, asset management, hard drive shredding, refurbishing, and other miscellaneous repairs. ITAD companies can further assist businesses by buying their unwanted hardware to make it into something reusable.

To break it down even further, ITAD can discard various hardware and recycle its materials. Granted, since this hardware can still contain important company data, they’ll make sure your storage devices are securely wiped. If any of your equipment can be repurposed, they may offer to repair your devices to further decrease e-waste.

Benefits of ITAD

Since businesses can constantly cycle through IT equipment, the risk of further e-waste increases. When disposed of in a landfill, the electronics contain toxic metals and chemicals that significantly harm the environment. Some of these materials could potentially even leak into the ground and contaminate essential water sources.

This is the ultimate benefit of ITAD. When there’s an efficient and sustainable system available to properly dispose of e-waste, downsizing your business becomes much more eco-friendly. ITAD is also an essential part of data security. If the data within your hard drives are not properly deleted once they are disposed of, this can lead to risky security breaches. Plus, at the end of the day, ITAD helps businesses save money since they’re refurbishing old materials.

Reputable ITAD Practices

A reputable ITAD service provider should maintain a certain priority of quality. Some characteristics of esteemed ITAD services include sustainability, certifications, and repair management. You should feel comfortable working with your chosen ITAD team and they should provide high-quality services that enhance your business while saving the environment at the same time. They should also aim to make the process as affordable as possible while guaranteeing the security of your data.

Teksetra’s ITAD Process

If your business doesn’t have internal ITAD services, Teksetra provides ITAD and e-waste management. When working with Teksetra, you can be assured that we’ll make the entire process simple, sustainable, and convenient.

Are you in need of ITAD services? Teksetra’s e-waste management solutions will help you downsize your business. Contact us to learn more about our ITAD process and how we can refurbish your old IT equipment today!