We are living in a digital age, which means that electronic devices are more than just tools that we use. They are part of our daily lives and we wouldn’t know where we’d be without them. In the business world, the rapid pace of technological advancement has led to a very common issue in that upgrades have led to a lot of instances where computers, printers, copiers, fax machines.In all manner of electronic waste is now being sent to landfill. Why? Well, it’s usually because it hasn’t been disposed of correctly.
Companies such as CurbWaste are there to help business owners to find the right waste management companies to get rid of all of this excess e-waste. The thing is, there is still a responsibility on your shoulders as a business leader to do better for the environment. With that in mind, here’s how to responsibly handle e-waste so you’re not ruining the landscape.
- Understand what constitutes e-waste. Before you can properly dispose of e-waste, you need to recognise the components. This includes things such as smartphones, computers and any accessory that requires cables or batteries. Almost all the waste lands in landfill, which harms the environment and does nothing for your business name. If you are condensing down or moving offices, you might want to get rid of an awful lot of electronic waste, and if that’s the case. Knowing which waste needs to go is important.
- Aim to reduce it. One of the best ways to responsibly handle e-waste is to reduce how much you buy in the first place. By doing this, you can minimize e-waste generation and choose durable, energy efficient products instead. Where you can take your devices to be repaired rather than replaced and consider shared usage of devices in the workplace so that you don’t have to worry about duplicates. That means that not every department needs to have a photocopier!
- Lean into the local recycling programs. There are plenty of electronics retailers and manufacturers near you that will offer recycling programs. This way, all of your laptops or computers can be collected and sent to a recycling center rather than be left to go to landfill.
- Look at donating or selling the electronics that still work but no longer serve you. If you have old devices that are still in working order, or you’re moving offices and upgrading the materials that you have, then you could sell the electronics that you had previously or donate them elsewhere. Donating perfectly good electronics is a great way to get your name out there, by the way. So look at local schools or public services that you can support by donating electronic items that are out of date for you.
- Spread awareness as much as possible. If you want to be the type of business that’s responsibly handling e-waste, then make sure that you are spreading awareness by educating your employees and those around you on how to do it.
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