Traditionally, companies stored data in filing cabinets and eventually shredded it to make room for more. The digital age changed data storage. During the last couple of decades, data centers assumed the role of filing cabinets and now store massive amounts of data. But data centers are not traditional IT assets.
IT assets are utilized in every business and inevitably need to be replaced. Sometimes, IT hardware can pile up in closets and take up storage space if not disposed of properly. However, a large obstacle for many businesses is not knowing how to dispose of retired IT equipment, and a recent survey revealed several reasons why e-waste accumulates.
Below is a recap of this week’s blog posts including the challenges of electronics recycling, maximizing the value of IT assets with donations programs, value-added enterprise asset services, and ways to reduce cloud costs.
Value-added ITAD, or vITAD, services are service offerings that augment the traditional ITAD model with several additional facets of the industry, including support for remote workers, R2v3 certification, robust ERP, data privacy, and ESG reporting. These additions are part of the shifting ITAD landscape and provide many enterprise benefits.
Electronics are used in almost every aspect of daily life. As important as they are, it’s equally important to ensure electronics are properly maintained and upgraded periodically to prevent technical issues. Maintenance can become costly over time, as well as upgrading to new devices. Value-added ITAD services like donations programs help maximize the value of retired IT assets while providing used electronics to those without access.
Certifications are a part of any business, and they can be difficult for some industries to achieve due to how complex they have become, especially in the ITAD industry. According to e-Stewards’ acting certification director, Selena Turnock, certification standards all over have been getting longer and more tedious.
The electronics industry has grown exponentially in the last 20 years and is successful in all facets. One obstacle many consumers face is what to do with devices after retirement. Electronics recycling, a lesser-known industry, is an eco-friendly way to dispose of retired IT assets. However, the industry has faced many challenges, some more recently than others.
Below is a weekly recap of this week’s blog posts including new initiatives to lower certification barriers, how to achieve ESG goals with diversity spend, details on why the electronics market may have collapsed, and details regarding the recent Senate hearing over e-waste recycling and reuse.
HOBI president and co-founder Craig Boswell testified this week before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Boswell addressed the needs of improving critical mineral recovery capacity through electronic waste, recycling, and reuse.
The electronics market started to decline in production in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and recent data indicates consumers are not purchasing new electronics at the same rate as previous years.