Did you know that global electronic waste (e-waste) has gone up 21% in the last 5 years? What’s even worse is in 2019, only 17.4% of e-waste was actually collected and recycled.
As a business owner, you have both a commercial and social duty to ensure your company’s e-waste is disposed of properly. But how can you do so?
To start, here are 4 e-waste recycling mistakes you should avoid.
1. Not Using the Right Containers
E-waste is usually hazardous for the environment, so you want to do everything you can to contain these things safely. This is especially true when you have a busy work environment and lots of e-waste is generated on a regular basis.
The good news is, you can request these products from e-waste management companies like Lamp Master. The boxes are completely compliant with DOT and EPA regulations so you won’t have to worry about anything. All you’ll have to do is box up your e-waste, send it back, and they’ll take care of everything else.
2. Not Configuring Your Trash Cans for E-Waste
Let’s face it: your employees are busy and won’t take more than a millisecond to think about where they’ll throw their trash. If you don’t configure your business’s trash cans for e-waste, you can bet that there will be batteries, fluorescent lamps, and other electronic products in your regular trash cans.
Take the time to configure e-waste trash cans that’ll make your workers think twice before throwing a battery away in the regular trash. For example, you can create restrictive openings and paste large pictures of the appropriate e-waste on top of the bin.
3. Throwing Away E-Waste on Your Own
Maybe you want to save some money and reduce overhead by recycling electronic products on your own. But you might be doing more harm than good.
When it comes to things like circuit boards, recycling the heavy metals in them takes a specialist’s touch. You can’t just toss your company’s old computers into the trash. They’ll just end up in landfills.
Working with an e-waste recycling company can be beneficial because they’ll make sure your e-waste ends up in the right place.
4. “Throwing Away” Data
Many people think that so long as you format a hard drive before you dispose of electronics, your data is safe. But 25% of data breaches in the US are thanks to negligence, which includes e-waste recycling mistakes.
To be compliant and to keep data safe, you have to destroy data according to the Department of Defense 5220.2-M standard. If you employ the help of an e-waste recycling company, they can ensure this will be done.
Avoid Making These E-Waste Recycling Mistakes
By knowing the common e-waste recycling mistakes that businesses make, you can help yours avoid them and be successful. So do your part in being environmentally-friendly and help make the world a better place.
Now that you know how to recycle electronics correctly, find out how easy recycling with LampMaster is. Once you’re ready, either order a kit online or by phone!