Below is a recap of this week’s blog posts including reducing e-waste and boosting sustainability with IT asset management, ITAD solutions with value-added services, a new battery EPR bill in Illinois, and how mobility managed services improve asset management and budget.
IT Asset Management: Reduce E-Waste & Boost Sustainability
Environmental awareness is growing, but education is still needed in many areas. Companies worldwide are implementing environmental policies and changes to packaging to meet new industry standards, but many are still unaware of the most significant problem: e-waste. Electronic waste makes up 70 percent of the world’s toxic waste, increasing as more IT assets are sent to landfills. E-waste is classified as hazardous waste because of the chemicals it produces that cause air and water pollution when sent to landfills or incinerators, a fact that millions of consumers are unaware of. The first step to reducing e-waste is education, and the second is responsible IT asset management. ITAM is the backbone of proper e-waste disposition, and partnering with an ITAD provider will significantly improve asset management and help reduce global e-waste generation.
ITAD Solutions with Value-Added Services
IT asset disposition has come a long way in the past decade and continues to evolve as clients’ needs become more sophisticated. Recent changes have resulted in additional facets of the industry, including ESG reporting and support for remote workers and more obscure facets such as re-imaging and redeployment, legal hold, and license retirement. HOBI refers to these new facets as value-added ITAD (vITAD) services that help clients navigate new industry hurdles.
Illinois Joins Other States in Launching Battery EPR Bill
Battery fires are increasing. A rise in technology means an increase in batteries, and most electronics today contain lithium-ion batteries, known for their explosive nature. From 2019 to 2023, an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year were reported to MFIRS. This number will increase alongside technology, but many states have already taken action via battery extended produce responsibility(EPR) laws. As the most recent state to implement battery disposal legislation, Illinois recently enacted an EPR bill targeting almost every battery type on the market, making it the thirteenth state to enact a battery EPR bill. Set to launch January 2026, SB 3686 covers primary batteries found in smoke detectors and clocks, rechargeable portable batteries used in devices like power tools and digital cameras, and rechargeable medium-format batteries, including those in e-bikes.
Mobility Managed Services Improve Asset Management & Budget
IT asset disposition encompasses a range of end-of-use services, including asset management. ITAD providers like HOBI function as a one-stop shop for all asset management needs during asset retirement. Partnering with an ITAD provider for mobility-managed services will help organize and manage retired assets through the disposition process. Services like data erasure and reverse logistics help protect data after retirement and during transport. Repair and refurbishment services prepare used assets for remarketing, which helps reduce e-waste and extends the life cycle of used assets. HOBI’s mobility-managed services also save budget costs by eliminating the need for multiple suppliers.