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"GreenTips" is a monthly Kiplinger Recommends feature from Greener World Media Inc., which writes environmental news and advice for business in a variety of Web-based publications, including GreenBiz.com, GreenerBuildings, ClimateBiz and GreenerComputing, the source of this article. This month's author is Joe Strathmann, the senior manager of Asset Recovery Services at Dell.When it came to properly disposing of unwanted IT equipment just a few years ago, the landscape for business was remarkably different than it is today. Few states had laws in place overseeing electronics recycling and data security. The European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) -- enacted in 2003 -- was still a year away from broad implementation.
Environmentally responsible IT asset disposal -- now a top priority for millions of businesses and consumers worldwide -- hadn't fully emerged as the global calling we've come to know.
While motivations differ among North American and European businesses, a survey by the market intelligence firm IDC finds evidence that information technology asset disposal (ITAD) is in the midst of a "major transformation," evolving from a relatively new sector to one with established processes and metrics. Nearly one-third of companies today use a third-party IT asset disposal provider, according to the survey.
Yet, despite this transformation, small companies are far less likely to use ITAD services compared with medium- and large-size companies. The survey found an estimated 11% of organizations with fewer than 100 employees use a third-party service, compared with 65% of companies with 10,000 or more employees.
Now that ITAD is becoming a mainstream practice, businesses of all sizes can recover and dispose of unwanted equipment in a secure and environmentally responsible manner. As thousands of companies turn to the ITAD, three proven guidelines, borrowed from years of experience working with customers, will help guide and simplify the process.
Above all, take no chances with your data. Unwanted IT equipment contains sensitive -- and in many cases valuable -- information. A computer's hard drive contains millions of sectors, each laden with data. Before choosing a third-party provider, know how your equipment will be handled.
Disk overwriting to protect confidential information should at the very minimum be performed to ensure that all hard drives have been successfully "wiped." All it takes is one missed sector to lead to a potential data loss. Providers should also guarantee independent third-party auditing on an ongoing process to ensure compliance with strict data security standards.
Second, ask for documentation. Documentation of the disposal process is key to every responsible disposal service, regardless of size or geographic location. Global providers with aggressive auditing processes in place should provide a certificate of destruction that includes the serial number, how the data was cleansed and whether the system was recycled or resold. With increased regulation and customer expectations around managing environmental impact, the days of hiring a provider without a comprehensive reporting structure are over.
Third, balance cost with the need for responsible disposal. The transformation of IT asset disposal is resulting in service offerings for organizations of every size. Yet despite the rising number of affordable options, organizations must work closely with their provider to ensure that reduction in cost doesn't mean reduction in quality. No business wants its brand name to be exposed to the risk of negative perceptions relating to pollution, loss of data, or unaudited equipment destruction.
One of the many examples of environmentally responsible asset disposition -- and its potential to further transform the industry -- is the concept of downstream auditing. As the world's economies become even more interconnected, disposal providers must take responsibility for traceability of materials as they move downstream as a key component of every program. This means pound-for-pound accounting at every level of the recycling process, 100% of the time.
Customers must require that systems determined to have no resale value be recycled based on accepted best practices for recycler performance standards. Your provider should strive to pursue a Zero Landfill Policy, where all materials are recycled rather than sent to a landfill.
Strict export policies that ensure no end of life materials intended for disposal would be sent to a developing country for disposal are also essential to drive transparent, accountable and responsible recycling of unwanted electronics. Before selecting a third-party provider, you need to ask yourself whom you trust to take care of your unwanted IT assets.
The global practice of disposing of, recycling, and reselling computer equipment is undoubtedly more established and sophisticated. Businesses worldwide have an opportunity to take advantage of a more efficient and modern system -- one that is eliminating the barriers to affordable and secure disposal while creating opportunities to improve the environment. The key is to choose wisely when selecting an ITAD provider.
This article originally appeared on Greenercomputing.com. To read more tips about disposing of or recycling office equipment and electronic goods, click here.
For more information on Dell's recovery and recycling programs, visit www.dell.com/recycle.
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