This week on HOBI Conversations, HOBI’s Global Logistics Director Dean Snitker returns, joined for the first time by Mike Blankenship, HOBI’s Head of Marketing, Sustainability and Client Strategies. Blankenship just celebrated 15 years at HOBI and shares the HOBI sustainability story behind the electronics recycling process. Episode 7 of HOBI Conversations centers around the upcoming E-Scrap Conference and fast tech, the small devices nobody thinks twice about. Today’s blog post breaks down how fast tech has become a major issue in the industry, the challenges it creates, how it increases battery fire risks, and why partnering with a certified ITAD provider is crucial.
What is Fast Tech and Why is it a Problem?
Devices like laptops, phones, and tablets come to mind when we think of daily use, but a category of technology often gets overlooked, and it’s contributing to the e-waste crisis in large volumes. Fast tech, or low-cost, battery-embedded accessories such as earbuds, cables, adapters, dongles, and more, falls into the category of miscellaneous tech that often ends up in junk drawers. These items are designed for quick, short-term use, with short lifespans that make them easy to discard and foster a disposable mindset in consumers. Their low cost encourages quick purchases and disposal, but some of these accessories still contain batteries and are classified as e-waste. Additionally, many users never consider that these devices may be small but still contain data. Until properly wiped, devices of any kind, including fast tech, still hold residual personal and enterprise information that becomes vulnerable when disposed of irresponsibly. Blankenship discusses fast tech on HOBI’s most recent podcast episode, painting a vivid picture of the role most companies unknowingly play in e-waste.
“It’s been a problem that hasn’t gotten much attention. Fast tech also includes inexpensive earbuds, Bluetooth trackers, and trade-show giveaways containing lithium batteries,” said Blankenship. “Those batteries eventually die, and the items are discarded. We used to treat this as a consumer issue, but businesses also buy and distribute branded devices. Your company’s name is now on something contributing to the e-waste problem.
The Data-Bearing Devices You Aren’t Thinking About
Because these fast tech devices are small, they often become afterthoughts and end up in the trash. However, these devices still hold large amounts of data and put enterprises at risk when they sit in storage closets and drawers.
“USB drives are an obvious example. I still find them in my desk and travel bag. They can contain client files, HR spreadsheets, and backups. Mobile hotspots can retain connection logs, network lists, administrator passwords and carrier account details. Smartwatches and fitness bands may store notifications, contacts, calendar entries, location history, health data and payment details. Smart thermostats, security cameras and badge readers may retain Wi-Fi passwords or cloud login tokens,” said Blankenship.
Businesses install hardware such as sensors, smart thermostats, headsets, and chargers that they do not view as traditional IT equipment. As a result, many of these devices never get IT asset tags, so they never pass through traditional IT disposition programs. This means they never undergo data sanitization. Fast tech still contains data, so enterprise information is at risk of theft when it sits in drawers and supply closets, or even ends up in the trash. Because they are often overlooked, they pose a significant security risk.
“You can wipe every laptop in a building but still send the Wi-Fi password out the door on a thermostat you forgot to erase. Many of these devices aren’t on asset lists, and nobody asks for proof they were wiped or destroyed,” Blankenship said.
The Battery Problem: Hidden Fire Risks Sitting in Storage
Another risk these fast tech devices present is battery fire. Battery-containing devices that end up in storage mean batteries sit in places they aren’t meant for. Most technology contains batteries, even the ones people never think about.
“The surprises come when people open drawers and find vape pens or other devices containing lithium-ion batteries that weren’t tracked,” said Dean Snitker on the HOBI Conversations podcast. “The Internet of Things means almost everything can contain a connected device requiring proper disposition. Cheap earbuds are another example. People buy them at airports and may just throw them away. In logistics, improperly packaged batteries, especially during temperature changes, can cause ruptures or fires.”
Battery fires can result from thermal runaways, which can happen during transit or when a battery is damaged. Overheating can also cause battery swelling, which makes them more susceptible to damage and sparks. Users often just toss batteries into a box and ship them, but nobody thinks about proper packaging.
“Even batteries that look fine may not ship safely. Proper packaging matters. Different battery classes have different transportation requirements. Protecting exposed terminals is particularly important; loose batteries striking one another can spark,” said Snitker. “Even a damaged device sitting in a drawer full of phones could be a serious hazard.”
Value is in Volume and Mitigated Risks
The truth is, fast tech has little to no resale value. It costs more to collect, sort, and process equipment than you would get from value recovery. However, value lies in volume, and for larger-scale companies, “processing millions of earbuds at scale can create meaningful recovery opportunities and reduce reliance on extracting virgin materials,” according to Snitker.
Snitker also explained that there is an “unavoidable cost to managing these products responsibly, and small items can actually cost more to process relative to their size because they contain limited recoverable commodity value and require sorting and handling. But recovering rare earths and other materials matters.”
Cost is unavoidable, but responsible IT asset disposition includes separating materials, managing plastics and metals, and using certified downstream processing to ensure environmental compliance. “That’s also a meaningful sustainability story for organizations to tell. Individual items seem small, but the impacts compound.”
The bottom line is that companies need to budget for responsible IT disposition, or risk data security breaches and large-scale battery fires.
What to do BEFORE You Call an ITAD Provider: A Checklist
According to Blankenship, “The first step is knowing what you have.” Do NOT just put everything in a closet and forget about it. Follow these HOBI-approved steps to prepare before the truck even arrives and before you call HOBI.
- Identify battery-powered items in a gaylord or on a pallet.
- Flag anything swollen, cracked, or damaged because damaged batteries ship under different rules.
- Keep battery-bearing devices, especially damaged ones, away from metal scrap and heavy equipment.
- Protect loose battery terminals, and package batteries so they can’t short against one another.
Why Partnering with an ITAD Vendor is Crucial
Responsibility is shifting. Companies face increasing pressure to address sustainability concerns, and partnering with a certified ITAD vendor is a crucial step in reducing their e-waste contribution.
“As rules tighten, companies will need to show how they manage even small devices,” Blankenship said.
Certified ITAD ensures environmental and legislative compliance, provides proof of erasure to protect data, increases value recovery, uses proper packaging to secure battery-containing devices, and often offers sustainability reporting so companies can track their real-world carbon impact.
What to Expect at E-Scrap 2026
HOBI will be at E-Scrap 2026 this week in New Orleans, where HOBI’s president Craig Boswell will speak on major issues and policies affecting the electronics industry. Blankenship and Snitker will both attend and look forward to learning more about the scale of critical minerals recovery and how other regions are handling electronics scrap and adapting policies.
Meet HOBI at E-Scrap
Watch HOBI Conversations EP. 7 and contact HOBI at 877-814-2620 or sales@hobi.com to set up a meeting ahead of E-Scrap.