The term “e-waste” refers to various electronic products that have reached the end of their useful life and must be disposed of. There is more e-waste than ever before, as computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices have become ubiquitous in their usage.
These types of electronic devices can be dangerous to dispose of in normal methods due to the toxic chemicals that can leach from the metals inside of them. This means these items should not be allowed to just sit in landfills, as they could harm the soil and surrounding environment.
It is important, then, for businesses to have an e-waste disposal plan—especially companies that go through a lot of electronic devices. All of these devices will eventually meet their end, and when that happens, businesses should have a plan for how they will get rid of them.
What are the benefits of e-waste disposal?
Because businesses and consumers are going to keep purchasing new devices as their old ones become outdated or exceed their usable lifespan, it is crucial to find ways to recycle these old models rather than throwing them out.
Recycling e-waste both prevents these items from sitting in a landfill (where they could potentially poison the environment) and provides a variety of other benefits to the environment, including the use of fewer resources and less energy to create or dispose of these items.
The process of e-waste disposal is quite simple. Businesses can gather up their old, unused electronics in a bin and bring them to a disposal or processing center. There are also plenty of businesses that offer outsourced e-waste disposal services to companies in which they will go to your facility and remove unwanted electronics.
The benefits of e-waste disposal are not limited to environmental benefits. It’s also an important aspect of ongoing data security for businesses.
The hard drive inside of a computer or the memory stick inside a smartphone can be a dangerous liability if not properly cleaned and disposed of. Someone could take an old hard drive, for example, connect it to a new computer and then pore over it to find personal information and sensitive documents. Physical dismantling of electronic devices is the best way to counteract this potential threat, even after you have already deleted everything from the hard drive.
Keep in mind that this task should only be performed by professionals. If improperly dismantled or damaged in a certain way, a laptop or smartphone battery could explode and pose a significant safety risk.
For businesses that keep a lot of sensitive data on hand, e-waste disposal is a critical part of maintaining clients’ privacy and protecting themselves from potential data breaches and liability issues.
Make e-waste disposal a part of your business’s sustainability and security initiatives. Our team at CIWA, Inc. would be glad to speak with you more about the benefits of e-waste disposal and what you can do to address the buildup of e-waste at your facility. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.