1. Introduction
This creates a major problem for future generations and the global community. A typical example lies in Guiyu, China. In the 1990s, a poor rural village electricians discovered they could earn more money extracting copper from wiring and computer components than by farming. The village and surrounding areas are now an expansive wasteland of e-waste. Studies have shown many health effects on workers due to primitive methods used to extract materials from e-waste. This example illustrates the growing problem of e-waste and the general disregard of proper methods to dispose of such material. Current measures in developed countries mostly involve methods to export or move waste to other areas. Due to restrictions in disposal methods and environmental concern in developed countries, others may try to stifle the problem by simply returning waste to sender. The Basel Convention was created to address such problems inhibiting the transfer of hazardous wastes from developed to less developed countries. However, the treaty is still lacking key participants and importers of hazardous waste have little restraints due to loopholes in the accords.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, accounting for 5-6 per cent of all municipal waste worldwide. This type of waste is a significant and quickly developing problem. With the emergence of more and more electronic products that have short life spans, this makes it a consumer-driven problem. In thinking globally about e-waste, in the 1970s, America passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. However, e-waste is not easily recognized as hazardous waste. The primary reason behind this shifting of hazardous materials off US shores to developing countries for disposal was cost. Developing countries accepted these materials with little to no restrictions primarily because it was a source of raw materials for recyclables and employment due to poverty in these regions.
2. Sustainable Asset Management Solutions: An Overview
At the other end of the equipment lifecycle, there are a range of issues related to safe disposal of IT equipment, particularly data security and environmental considerations. It is well documented that much e-waste collected for recycling is shipped to developing countries where it is processed using methods harmful to both health and the environment. Recycling in Europe might be more environmentally friendly, but also raises the issue that used equipment might end up being exported to still be processed developing countries. An inventory of IT equipment destined for reuse/recycling is often of negative value due to potential retrieval and misuse of data on disposed media. Conversely, it can be costly to erase data so that reuse is a safe option. In a similar vein to data security, there are growing legal requirements for zero impact disposal of specific toxic materials, and the costs of compliance are increasing.
Let’s now take a closer look at sustainable asset management solutions involving electronic equipment. Every year, many European organizations renew their PCs, servers, etc., resulting in more than 100 million discarded units. The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) aims to reduce this waste stream by requiring producers to be responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products. Though the legislative details are still being worked out, basically this requires producers to arrange for reuse/recycling of equipment in order to reduce environmental impact. In the longer term, it is hoped that this will encourage ecodesign and development of more durable products. Though WEEE is a step in the right direction, we believe that manufacturers can go further in addressing these issues. Through a product stewardship agreement, it is possible for a producer to take direct responsibility for managing the collection, reuse or recycling of their goods, irrespective of the legal requirements in different countries. For example, through a deal with our IT supplier, we arranged for them to take back equipment for refurbishment and reuse in Asian markets, thereby delaying recycling/disposal and data security.
3. Corporate E-Waste Management Services
In meeting a client-specific e-waste solution, we recognize that various service lines may have differing hardware disposal requirements. We provide a tailored approach for each service line, which may involve the clearance of a specific type of hardware, or a service that is specific to a particular region. An example of this is a recent project performed for one of the world’s largest retail organizations. Having undergone a refresh of Point of Sale (POS) systems, they required a logistics and recovery service for the disposal of till hardware across various European countries. Our ability to deliver tailored services allowed us to meet their exact requirements and provide a solution that was both fully managed and cost-effective.
A key challenge in the e-waste recycling process is maintaining data security. With increasing regulatory pressures and business continuity requirements, there is no room for error in migrating data from end-of-life equipment. Any data loss can have serious implications, both for the client’s operations and their legal position. To mitigate risk, our data security-centered process ensures that remarketable assets are wiped to an extent that surpasses stringent data removal standards. We do so utilizing Blancco data erasure solutions, a world leader in data erasure and IT asset disposition (ITAD). In cases where data destruction is the most secure and cost-effective disposal option, we provide off-site data destruction and shredding at a Blancco certified location. This same secure service is also available for any equipment held on a warehousing basis.
E-Waste Management Services has long been a primary concern for the majority of corporate clients. Most are all too aware that simply discarding IT equipment carries a potentially heavy environmental cost, but practical considerations, particularly data security, can make corporate e-waste recycling seem complex. This issue is further complicated by global responsibilities – with sites and subsidiaries often dispersed around the world, companies need a coordinated e-waste solution from a single provider to ensure consistent policy application. By providing global e-waste services, through an audited network of best-in-class recycling partners, we allow our clients to benefit from a single professional solution with centralized responsibility. We offer corporate e-waste management services in Singapore.
4. R2 Certification: Ensuring Responsible E-Waste Handling
R2:2013 is a set of responsible recycling (“R2”) practices for use in accredited certification programs. The current standard, R2:2013, provides a common set of processes, safety measures, and documentation requirements for businesses that repair and recycle used electronics. The R2 standard also focuses on environmental, worker health and safety, and data security practices, ensuring that all of these processes are held to the highest standard. The intelligent design of the R2 standard also facilitates a continual improvement process, making it easier for recyclers to use best practices to provide a transparent chain of custody throughout the recycling process. This includes having a process to identify equipment for reuse or recycling, and tracking reusables and commodities through to final disposition. One of the key features of the R2 standard is its integration of environmental protection with reuse and recycling: a data security hierarchy, and a strong focus on health and safety of workers and communities. R2:2013 was specifically designed to support the market incentives for IT asset disposition (ITAD) and other recyclers to implement best practices that protect the environment, human health, worker health and safety, and data security during the export, refurbishing, and recycling of used electronics. R2 requires these companies to consider reuse as a top priority for end-of-life devices and to employ data clearing and purging as a means to safeguard information on used electronic devices. R2 also sets forth specific requirements for downstream vendors, since recycling and refurbishing processes often involve a chain of responsible parties. All of these requirements are designed to ensure that e-scrap is managed in a sustainable way, protective of the global environment and all people involved. SAMS is an r2 certified company.
5. Contact SAMS for Your E-Waste Management Needs
E-Waste Management is the business of SAMS. Their services have consistently received the highest rating from its clients. SAMS has continually respected the safety, health, and the environment internationally by achieving R2 (Responsible Recycling) and ISO 14001 certifications, and obtaining the OHSAS 18001 certification. SAMS promises to eliminate the data and environmental risks associated with electronic media disposal. SAMS will work to maximize the value of retired electronic assets through recovery and return sharing arrangement options. Through SAMS, corporate clients have found an environmentally and socially friendly alternative to traditional recycling methods for their retired electronics.
