Responsible Processing of Equipment is Labor-Intensive
Recycling Your Copy Machine Must Be Done Right
How many printers and copy machines have you gone through over the years? Did you know they store data just like a computer? No matter what electronics you decide to dispose of, recycling them responsibly and destroying the data has never been more important to keep your identity safe.
At Spectrum Ecycle Solutions, our perfected, trusted process has been certified using top industry standards enabling us to give you a 100% data destruction guarantee. To get to our annual certifications, we go through a rigorous, labor-intensive process so we can protect your information and recycle with the utmost care.
How Responsible E-cycling Works
The responsible process for recycling electronic equipment involves many steps that are often labor-intensive. For example, a copy machine or a desktop printer/copier/fax has very little scrap value but still requires 4-5 steps to properly separate components prior to final processing. The ink/toner must be removed and plastics and metals must be separated.
Other items such as old TVs require manual separation of the lead-filled tube from the rest of the device. The labor required plus the disposal costs for lead and leaded glass are far greater than what little scrap value comes from the plastics and metals in a TV. These same processing requirements apply to many other items including LCD screens and appliances that contain refrigerants.
Make Recycling, E-Cycling, Up-Cycling a Habit
It’s time to make recycling electronics and appliances a habit! Recycling, E-Cycling, and Up-Cycling can happen at home, at the office, and in your business. The more we do it on our own and with the help of companies like Spectrum, the easier it becomes to make an impact.
Though it can be labor intensive, it can also be as easy as donating an unwanted computer or desktop copy machine/printer your child’s school or church, or passing on a cell phone onto a friend. Most cities have curbside recycling, commercial recycling programs, and Spectrum Ecycle in St. Louis recycles many electronics for free with drop off and pick-up services. Spread the word and let’s do this together. 314-428-0777
According to Jonas Allen, Director of Marketing for EPEAT, a worldwide green electronic rating system, nearly 40% of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills come from electronics. The report shows if the recycling rates for gold, silver, and platinum increased to 100% from their current 5-15%, the electronics sector could realize $12 billion in benefits. Not to mention the toxic impact that throwing electronics in the trash has on our landfills, water supply, environment, and even our health.
