Benefits of Keeping Your E-Waste Out of Landfills

The invention of plastic straws dates back to the 1880s, but it wasn’t until recently that we started to realize the impact of this disposable convenience. It is estimated that 500 million straws are used each day in the U.S. alone, and approximately 8.3 billion of the tubes pollute the world’s beaches. This could be why so many cities and states are banning them, and so many businesses are pledging to stop using them.

Unfortunately, it took over a century to come to this realization, and some damage has been done in the meantime. The same fate could apply to any number of similar innovations, including computer equipment and devices. However, we seem to be learning from mistakes of the past, which is why countries across the globe have been stepping up e-waste laws over the last several years.

With reporting estimating global e-waste at 41.8 million metric tons as of 2014, it’s no wonder keeping e-waste out of landfills has become a global imperative. Why should your Sioux Falls, SD business participate in this initiative? You’ll enjoy several benefits when you do.

Legal Compliance
The first and most important reason to recycle e-waste instead of disposing of it is to cause no harm to the environment, but a close second is ensuring compliance with environmental laws. Currently, e-waste is governed at the federal level by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which covers the “generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste”. This includes electronics containing toxic materials like beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury, and more.

In addition, there are currently 25 states that have their own recycling laws in place, with more in the works. You not only need to comply with current laws related to e-waste disposal, but make sure you’re up-to-date with legislation in the works so that you can prep accordingly and hit the ground running.

Protecting the Community
The last thing you want to do is become a liability to the community that supports your business, and with proper e-waste disposal and recycling practices, you can avoid becoming an environmental offender. When you partner with an ITAD service provider that not only complies with laws, but also with standards for eStewards, R2:2013, ISO 14001:2015, and more, you can rest assured that you’re doing all you can and more to avoid improper pollution and waste.

Even better, your efforts could help to create recycling jobs, and if you elect to wipe and refurbish still-usable devices as a means of giving them a second life, you could consider donating them to local organizations in need. Supporting the community that supports you is just good business.

Establishing a Green Image
Many consumers are looking to support brands that live up to their green ideals, and you could fall into that category if you take pains to implement environmental initiatives, or at least choose an ITAD partner that complies with environmental laws and submits to oversight and certification processes by reliable organizations like eStewards.

Your Sioux Falls, SD business stands to gain a lot by keeping e-waste out of the landfills and properly recycling. Contact the qualified professionals at SEAM today at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online to get started.