What Is E-Waste?

E-Waste is discarded electronic products like mobiles, computers, hard drives, printers, networking drives, even things like tapes, CD’s, VCR’s and printer cartridges. This can be classed as something as small as a memory stick or a bank card.

Why Not Send It To The Tip?

Well, you can. However in doing so you leave yourself open to things like Identity Theft, Fraud, Business Espionage and Security Threats. Not only that, but remember all those photos and videos you have on your laptop?

Why Is e-waste Such An Issue?

As individuals and businesses we are now consuming more technology than ever, and at an increasing rate. As tech becomes more and more integrated into every aspect of our lives, even products that were previously ‘dumb’ are now being made ‘smart’ with the inclusion of sensors and semiconductors. Think wearable tech, smart homes and the ‘Internet of Things’. This goes double then it comes to businesses. The pressure of competing in a global marketplace leads to an ever-increasing reliance on technological innovation to give a competitive edge and increase sales. That leads to a lot of waste products as technology is constantly updated and refined.

The life span of devices and equipment gets ever shorter due to this relentless cycle, not helped by design obsolescence, whereby design or software is deliberately updated in such a way that the previous model becomes completely redundant, or support is withdrawn for it to keep sales of new models high. It’s usually far easier and cheaper to entirely replace a product than upgrade or repair one – as anyone who has ever suffered a cracked iPhone screen will understand!

Wait…. What do you mean??

Well, as many of us know, all computers and electronic systems have back-ups. But those back-ups have back-ups. Even when we think we have wiped clear everything possible, there is still residual files left over. Remember the in all the crime shows how the crook gets caught from his computer history? Well, it’s like that. All the information you put in, from a reminder through to your financial institution login credentials are saved on the back-up back-up memories.

Processing e-waste for your business

This all leads to businesses encountering a headache around what to do with their old electronics once they make the decision to upgrade. Getting new equipment is part of retaining your competitive edge, so there will come a time when you have little choice but to upgrade.

Electronic devices contain a mix of different parts – palladium, copper, silver, platinum, cobalt and other elements. These need to be carefully sorted in order to be eligible for recycling. There are also dangerous and toxic heavy metals – things like lead, mercury and cadmium, plus chemicals like flame retardants, that need to be properly disposed of. That’s where a company that is qualified to deal with e-waste can help support your business and operational needs.

When it comes time to upgrade your technology, we can simply collect the items that you no longer need, and make sure that they are disposed of safely and all recyclable elements are dealt with correctly. Call us today for a no-obligation quote and we can discuss your particular needs and situation and make the arrangements you need.

So, What Can We Do For You?

Well, there are new ways to clear all these electronic devices and the information stored on them. From water, to magnets right down to stripping it to the bare basics. Some of the components are reusable. Others are disposed of in a safe way so as not to affect the environment. Did you know that as of a 2017 survey, there was about 10 tonnes of copper and 300kgs of silver just in unused mobile phones in Australian homes? What about the old desktop computer? Well, people like computer gamers like to build their own computer hard-drives that can handle the power requirements and look fancy at the same time. See how something that is gathering dust can be reused?

E-waste Solutions Provided to you.

Hard Drive Destruction

Laptop Recycling

You Mentioned The Environment…..

E-waste, when left in the hot Australian sun, heats up and releases damaging, toxic chemicals into the air and damaging the atmosphere where we reside. This is one of the biggest impacts to the environment. When left to landfills, e-waste toxins seep into the groundwater, and pollute drinking water, rivers and oceans. This is a major issue in developing countries where a lot of the e-waste is sent. So, again, to recycle these components safely and securely makes sure we are helping our planet and each other.