recyclers play in IT recycling
The e-waste stream is growing at an alarming rate, and IT professionals are apprehensive about how to handle the task of managing retiring IT equipment. It’s a worry that makes sense – data breaches from obsolete IT equipment can come back to haunt the business years later.
Fortunately, there are companies that can help. An R2-compliant and certified recycler can guarantee the destruction of any sensitive information on your outdated IT hardware, using industry-standard practices. This includes physical wiping, magnetic degaussing and other methods of data removal that leave no chance for your data to be restored. They will also be able to provide you with a certificate of destruction that meets Department of Defense standards.
R2 Certification is an international standard developed by SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International) and is widely recognized as the premier accreditation for electronics recyclers. it recycling to meet high-level environmental, worker health and downstream accountability standards. The certification is renewed annually, and only those who pass SERI’s stringent audits can claim the R2 certification.
What role do certified recyclers play in IT recycling?
An R2-certified recycler is a company that has demonstrated through a rigorous, multi-step audit process that they continuously meet specific and high environmental standards and safely manage used electronics. A third party certifying body, like RIOS or ISO, evaluates the recycler in more than 50 areas of operational and environmental performance. Only those recyclers that maintain compliance and successfully complete a surveillance audit every three years can keep their R2 status.
One of the most important reasons to choose an R2-certified recycler is that they are committed to preserving natural resources and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Their facilities are designed to protect the environment and minimize water and soil contamination, and they implement strict worker health and safety guidelines to ensure that their employees are not exposed to hazardous materials during the recycling process.
In addition, R2-certified recyclers support responsible supply chain management. They make sure that e-waste is not diverted to countries with inadequate e-waste laws and practices. This prevents your e-waste from being sent into landfills or dismantled under dangerous conditions in developing nations.
Finally, R2-certified recyclers are committed to ensuring that their clients are protected from fraud and unauthorized export of their e-waste. This is achieved by requiring them to implement an Integrated Management System, which includes a documented Quality Control Program. This ensures that the recycler is tracking all of the e-waste they receive from their customers and that they are properly managing it all the way to the end of the supply chain.
It’s clear that the case for IT recycling has never been stronger – and a reliable, R2-compliant recycler can take away all of your concerns about your data security, your environmental footprint and the ability to find asset disposition support for your retired equipment. So what are you waiting for? Start your search for an R2-compliant and certified recycler today!