The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Earth911 have joined together to launch Project Reboot promoting electronics recycling this holiday season and beyond.
As holiday mobile device sales continue to sore, the fate of last season’s electronics is in the hands of the consumer.
The Consumer Electronics Association has predicted a 4 percent increase in gadget sales for the holiday season compared to last year’s totals. In response to these projections, ISRI and Earth 911 have constructed a multi-faceted campaign to educate Americans on end-of-life electronics. Project Reboot will also assist consumers in finding certified ITAD providers who are trusted in the industry for reuse and recycling.
This year-long campaign will attempt to gain support from businesses, corporation and civic groups to educate people on the environmental, economic and social responsibility of proper electronics recycling with the end goal to ultimately increase responsible electronics recycling over the coming year.
Project Reboot will include a variety of initiatives, such as an “electronics recycling pledge,” a Facebook page and an already live Twitter account. The success of the initiative will be measured by continued surveys on consumer e-scrap recycling habits and attitudes.
While many areas have responsible electronics recycling programs readily available to them year-round, consumers do not take advantage. Earlier this year, two main reasons were revealed for the lack of cell phone recycling in particular:
1. I don’t know where to take it to be recycled
2. I am worried about the safety of my personal info
ISRI funded a recent survey and found an overwhelming majority of study respondents – 97 percent – said they would like to recycle their used electronics. Although a number of people would like to recycle their obsolete IT equipment and mobile devices, they simply do not know where to take them. When researching proper electronics recycling, keep an eye out for organizations that are responsible recyclers (R2).
Don’t just abandon your old electronics and mobile devices, drop them off some place they will be responsibly recycled by a certified ITAD organization.
Especially with the way technology is blossoming, IT asset management and disposition organizations have to be at the top of their game, always innovating and changing the way equipment is handled and recycled.