Originally posted to Data Center POST
By Rob Ruehle, Vice President of Operations, Liquid Technology
Whether a company regularly upgrades IT equipment to keep pace with cutting edge technologies, is migrating to the cloud, or simply finds itself with end-of-life hardware it no longer needs, all face the same dilemma: what to do with the no longer needed legacy equipment. Companies faced with this predicament soon realize the problem of excess technology is much more complex than what they face when simply updating their office furniture. Here are three reasons why e-waste may be your next big problem:
1) Improperly Recycled e-Waste Can Negatively Impact the Environment
Global e-waste generation reached approximately 44.7 million metric tons, or 6.1 kg per person in 2016, according to The Global e-Waste Monitor 2017 report, and is still growing by more than 3 percent per year. This figure is only going to increase as businesses, particularly those undergoing cloud migration rendering a large amount of their hardware unnecessary, create e-waste at an accelerated pace. Improperly disposed of IT assets not only add large quantities of waste to already overfilled landfills, but this improper disposal allows toxic materials to leak into the environment, with potentially harmful effects on both wildlife and humans.
There is an eco-friendly alternative, however. Rather than dumping fully functional, pre-used equipment, companies may consider reselling them through an established market vendor that specializes in brokering the sales for legacy IT assets. This option is not only good for the environment but also preempts the next of a company’s big problems when it comes to e-waste: data privacy and compliance.
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