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Date:
May 7, 2025
Author:
mender
There is a growing environmental crisis, and the device you’re staring at could become part of the problem... or the solution. Every year, millions (and potentially billions) of electronic devices reach the end of their functional lives. Historically, this e-waste wound up in landfills, leaching harmful toxins into the soil and water. It’s also a waste because many of those electronics could be refurbished and resold, or the components could be repurposed.
There is an approach to end-of-life electronics that can be environmentally and economically beneficial. IT asset disposition (ITAD) is a sustainable way to manage e-waste. Through effective recycling and refurbishment practices, organizations can mitigate environmental impacts while unlocking the hidden economic value of discarded electronics.
The Environmental Protection Agency defines e-waste as “electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life and are discarded.”
It’s a pretty straightforward term for one of the fastest-growing global waste streams. According to the United Nations’s reports monitoring e-waste, in 2019, the world generated approximately 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste. Just three years later, in 2022, e-waste generation increased to 62 million metric tons. By 2030, it’s projected to reach 82 million metric tons.
Sustainable ITAD is a comprehensive process involving the secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly disposal, recycling, or reuse of retired IT equipment. It encompasses several key steps that turn obsolete electronics into recovered resources.
The only way to ensure that these steps are performed safely, securely, and in compliance with environmental regulations is to work with a certified ITAD provider, like mender.
mender offers end-to-end ITAD services that prioritize sustainability, data security, regulatory compliance, and transparency. Companies like mender, with detailed reporting, circular solutions, and a commitment to responsible reuse, help organizations turn outdated tech into a valuable resource through environmentally responsible and secure practices. By ensuring all data is thoroughly sanitized and processes align with industry standards and legal requirements, mender enables clients to confidently meet their compliance obligations while advancing their sustainability goals.
The improper disposal of e-waste poses severe environmental and health challenges. One of the most compelling reasons to adopt sustainable ITAD practices is to minimize environmental harm.
E-waste is not biodegradable, meaning the only way to eliminate it is to physically destroy it, which often happens when e-waste is shipped overseas (vast amounts of e-waste end up in Asia). However, commonly used methods, such as open-air burning and acid baths, release toxins and expose workers to high levels of contaminants such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and more. Exposure to these toxins can lead to irreversible health effects, including cancer and neurological damage.
Depositing e-waste in landfills is not a better option. Over time, e-waste can leach hazardous materials (such as mercury, arsenic, and lead) into the soil and water.
Plus, discarded devices often house valuable raw materials, including precious metals like gold, silver, and palladium. According to a report released by The World Counts, U.S. consumers throw away cell phones containing $60 million of gold and silver every year.
E-waste can also contain rare-earth elements, such as neodymium (used for its unique magnetic and electrical properties). Precious and rare-earth elements are extremely energy-intensive and environmentally disruptive to mine. They are also mainly sourced from just a few countries, such as China, which can make them logistically difficult to obtain.
Recovering precious metals from e-waste uses significantly less energy (up to 95% less in some cases) compared to mining virgin ore. This is because e-waste contains higher concentrations of metals compared to virgin ore, making extraction more efficient.
When IT assets reach the end of their lifecycle, they often retain value that can be collected through remarketing and resale.
When assets are decommissioned, companies can refurbish and remarket these devices. This not only helps to defray the cost of new technology investments but also contributes to a sustainable cycle of IT asset management.
In addition to the valuable metals and rare-earth elements previously mentioned, decommissioned IT assets contain memory modules, processors, and storage devices that are still valuable. These components can be repurposed for other systems or sold as spare parts, reducing the need for new part manufacturing. A certified ITAD provider can harvest these parts to ensure that no value is left behind.
A circular economy is based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way. ITAD is a critical component of this economic model because it emphasizes the repeated use of resources, reduces e-waste, and promotes sustainability.
One of the most compelling aspects of ITAD is its dual ability to drive sustainability while enhancing economic value. This intersection is critical as businesses increasingly adopt circular economy principles to both mitigate environmental impacts and harness new revenue streams.
Are you ready to embrace the circular economy and make your IT disposal smarter and more sustainable? mender can help by securely and responsibly managing your retired technology and discovering the hidden value in your devices. Get in touch with mender to learn more.
