Did you know Earth Day was formed 45 years ago in 1970? The federal holiday originated after a national “teach-in” organized across many US universities to spread awareness of the effects of pollutants on the environment. The focus was on reducing and recycling consumer waste and cleaning our water and air, but people thought nothing of tossing old cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs in landfills. Fast-forward to today and we are now better educated on the hazardous result of improper disposal of electronic waste on the environment. And there is more e-waste than ever today— smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.
Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the US. It accounts for approximately 2 percent of municipal waste today, but with the growth of technology and the short lifecycle of consumer electronics, the more damaging the effect will be. Some say e-waste will increase 33% by 2017.
Your organization can play a role in the sustainable recycling of consumer e-waste. Host an employee electronics recycling drive on Earth Day, or any day of the year. In fact, any day except Earth Day is good, because there are so many other events that day.
Company collection events are a great way to show your company commitment to environmental stewardship, and to your employees. Lifespan works with our customers to plan an event that works for your facility and program. Employees like it because they already are coming to work – it’s not a special trip. It allows them to dispose of TVs, computers, monitors, PC, laptops and other devices they have at home with confidence that they’ll be recycled in compliance with all environmental regulations and that any data on their devices is securely destroyed. This is especially important to people these days, with all the data breaches in the news. You can show your employees that you’ve selected a vendor who is certified for electronics recycling and secure data destruction for the company and for them as individuals.
Globally, approximately 80 percent of e-waste is improperly disposed of. When you choose a vendor that is not certified and compliant, you are likely contributing to the illegal and unethical shipment of equipment overseas to countries like Ghana, China and Pakistan where communities of thousands are exposed to hazardous materials in the equipment. When it isn’t shipped overseas, the hazardous waste is sometimes left in abandoned buildings, trucks, or electronic wastelands in the ground here in the US, exposing our soil and water to harmful toxins. Whether for an employee recycling event or for your organization’s IT equipment, ethically disposing of electronic equipment is easy if you select a certified vendor.
Our Lifespan Environmental Effect Finder (LEEF) is a valuable resource you can use to measure the environmental impact of all the electronics collected from your recycling event. The LEEF reports details like energy, water use, and carbon footprint saved by recycling or reusing the equipment. It is a great summary to provide to your employees for two reasons: so they can feel good about having a personal impact on the environment, and to influence them to sustainably dispose of their e-waste again in the future.
Check out our whitepaper A Guide to Environmental Compliance in IT Asset Disposition for more on the topic. Or contact us to request assistance in planning your own employee e-waste collection event.
