ISRI Develops Toolkit for ESG Reporting

As one of the value-added IT asset disposition, or vITAD, service offerings, ESG reporting is a hot topic in the industry as a way to improve transparency, accountability, and environmental goals in the workplace. Many companies want to implement ESG goals but are unsure how, and The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is working on a toolkit for its members to help get them started. 

The ESG toolkit has been in development since last year. It will be an online resource with a guidebook that will walk people through the process and offer direction on topics such as setting goals, how to develop a strategy, and how to get feedback from stakeholders. 

“We just see a need for a resource that is designed with recycling members in mind and is really practical, especially for smaller businesses,” said Natalie Messer Betts, assistant vice president of sustainability at ISRI, “we’re just making it really clear and trying to cut through the noise.” 

The toolkit will also have sample policies, sample spreadsheets pre-populated with the data categories companies would need, and links to other ESG resources for users to download. Betts also noted that the goal is to make it as simple as possible due to how complicated the process can feel. 

Though not a new concept, ESG reporting is a hot topic quickly spreading throughout the business world. As one of the new industry criteria for the evolving ITAD landscape, ESG represents a significant change in industry standards. By disclosing environmental, social, and governance data, companies can shed some light on ESG performance and compliance, improve investor transparency, and become more environmentally aware. 

ESG is accomplished in many ways in the ITAD space, beginning with environmental procedures. ITAD vendors mitigate any potential environmental liability via electronic recycling. A large part of social criteria in ESG reporting is data protection and privacy; a significant facet of IT asset disposition is data security. Many ITAD facilities like HOBI erase data from every device before disposition to ensure no data is leaked and take special precautions, including padlocked cages and security cameras to ensure clients’ assets are protected. 

As a new industry standard for IT asset disposition enterprises, ESG goals are becoming more prevalent and expected. Though the concept may seem daunting at first glance, more resources are being developed and released to aid those seeking to apply them to enterprise practices. 

For more information about our vITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.