Rapid technological advancements during the last decade have thrust the world into a digitally driven era that continues to evolve at an increasing rate. Although technology is beneficial in many ways, rapid technological deployment has also created a global e-waste crisis that can only be solved via circularity with an ITAD provider.
A Circular Economy Eliminates Waste
A linear economic model means goods and products are purchased, used, and discarded, but not all waste is biodegradable, which means landfills cannot help alleviate the e-waste crisis. Electronic waste is classified as hazardous waste because of the chemicals it produces. When e-waste is sent to landfills, these chemicals are absorbed by the soil, contaminating the groundwater that can eventually spread to the surrounding water supply and lead to severe health issues for those who ingest it. The goal of a circular economy is to eliminate waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling goods and products rather than discarding them. One way to achieve this for e-waste is through proper IT asset management.
ITAD Services That Support Circularity
IT asset disposition is a key factor in global e-waste reduction, and ITAD providers offer a range of beneficial services that support circularity while also protecting data and bridging the digital divide.
Data Security – Data erasure is a service that ITAD providers offer, preparing IT assets for reuse and protecting data by completely wiping it from hard drives. This ensures no data leaks occur even after assets are retired. HOBI’s internally developed data erasure tool, HOBI Shield, completely wipes data from a device, and any hard drives that cannot be entirely erased are destroyed via shredding technology.
Repair & Remarketing – A key component of circularity is device reuse. Reusing electronics keeps them in circulation and reduces e-waste. ITAD providers offer mobility managed services (MMS) that include repair, refurbishment, and asset remarketing for used IT assets. Some ITAD providers even offer donation programs to help bridge the digital divide by providing technology to those without access.
Recycling – As end-of-use service providers, IT asset disposition facilities close the loop on the circular economy via repairing and remarketing used assets, and recycling those that cannot be resold. Recycling is the only environmentally sound method of disposal for e-waste, and ITAD providers focus on maximizing value with materials recovery and mitigating environmental liability.
HOBI is an R2v3, RIOS, WBE, and ISO 14001 certified IT asset management and disposition provider with more than 30 years of industry experience. Partnering with HOBI ensures environmentally responsible IT asset disposition and ITAM services that maximize asset value and protect data after retirement.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.