Technology develops at a fast pace. In addition to this, your It equipment may be in constant use. Both of these factors will contribute to the need for IT asset disposal.
However, when it comes to the end of your IT equipment’s lifespan, does your business have a procedure in place for information technology asset disposition? Do you look to repurpose your equipment? Can you sell it? Or do you dispose of it?
When your business no longer needs a piece of electronic equipment, it can be a risk if it is not managed correctly.
Here are the most common electronics recycling mistakes that you need to avoid at all costs.
Throwing Your Data Away
If you’ve got old equipment that contains data laying around, then there is always a risk that this might fall into the wrong hands.
Similarly, if you dispose of this equipment without taking the care to ensure that it is completely erased, any sensitive data might still be accessed.
Formatting a drive is not enough. You need to destroy the data on your disk drives to Department of Defense 5220.2-M standard. This will ensure nothing can be retrieved from the drive.
Not Understanding Where Your Equipment Ends Up
Do you know where your electronic items are destined after they leave your business? You may have disposed of them through a third-party company, but can be sure that your old equipment is not going to end up shipped overseas?
There are numerous unethical third-world recycling operations where child labor may be used to break down electronic items from western countries.
Make sure that you’re using a responsible recycling company.
Disposing of Electronics Yourself
If you’ve opted to try and dispose of your IT assets yourself, you may have overlooked the fact there are some parts that can cause considerable damage to the environment.
Many businesses lack the expertise or the resources to dispose of their electronic items in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
Circuit boards contain a lot of heavy metals that can be toxic to the environment. It is essential that these are handled by a specialist recycling center. These elements will need to be isolated and disposed of safely.
Not Researching Your Compliance
Do you know what the regulations are in your state for the disposal for hardware and data? By discarding your equipment in a way that doesn’t meet state or federal regulations could land your business facing a fine.
If you’ve handled medical or customer records, then you have specific requirements that need to be met when disposing of your IT assets.
Use an Electronics Recycling Company
By using an electronics recycling company, you can be sure that your data will be completely sanitized. Not only that, but all disposals will be done in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
For more information about how Cleanlites recycling can help you safely dispose of your hardware and data, get in touch today