Environmental awareness continues to make tracks in the business world, with many enterprises implementing ESG goals and environmental policies to ensure partners and clients are committed to protecting the environment. Electronic waste plays a significant role in the amount of global hazardous waste the world generates annually, and proper IT asset management will help reduce the amount of e-waste sent to landfills, help a business reduce their carbon footprint, and achieve environmental ESG goals.
During the last ten years, the focus has shifted to environmental awareness, especially in the business world. Tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have announced sustainability efforts, such as reducing plastic packaging and using recycled metals during manufacturing. As technology evolves and the risk of pollution increases, proper IT asset management remains crucial to protecting the environment and human health.
One of the most common places to dispose of electronics is in landfills. However, electronics are made with precious metals such as gold, silver, mercury, lead, platinum, and aluminum. These metals contain toxic chemicals that leak into the soil and contaminate the groundwater and surrounding water supply. As a result, residents nearby could ingest the polluted water and develop serious health issues. Some turn to incineration to avoid pollution, which results in toxic chemicals polluting the air rather than the groundwater when electronics are burned.
Retired IT assets can also end up piled in storage closets or left in warehouses, but this could be just as dangerous. Most electronics nowadays are manufactured with lithium-ion batteries, which are notorious for exploding when damaged. Many warehouse fires occur due to thermal runaways that cause chemical fires. The longer any devices containing LIBs are left in warehouses or even landfills, the higher the risk of potential damage resulting in a fire.
Another risk is data security. Data remains on IT assets until properly wiped, and leaving equipment in storage closets or even sending it to landfills or incinerators leaves it vulnerable to potential data theft. Luckily, there is a solution for IT asset disposition that protects enterprise data and prevents environmental pollution.
IT asset disposition facilities such as HOBI International Inc. collect old, retired, and outdated electronics and ensure that they are properly disposed of in a safe, eco-friendly manner via electronics recycling. ITAD enterprises prioritize the environment and work to reduce the pollution and contamination produced by e-waste. HOBI focuses explicitly on maximizing economic return and mitigating potential environmental liability. HOBI is R2v3, RIOS, and ISO-14001 certified, ensuring all equipment is processed under full legislative compliance. We also offer onsite data erasure and security services to ensure data is safe during every step of the disposition process.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 877-814-262 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.