The Circular Economy & E-Waste: Achieving a More Sustainable Future

Through reporting on critical data around landfill diversion, waste generation, and recycling rates, companies can proactively and transparently confront their own role in contributing to a more circular, sustainable future. Many companies are already required to report these numbers, but by making changes–big or small–to how they dispose of or repurpose their electronic devices, they can easily meet or exceed reporting goals while making a significant environmental impact.

Remarketing, the process of refurbishing, data erasure, and reselling to a new owner is a positive and secure alternative to simply disposing of electronic products. Importantly, remarketing or repurposing these materials can be up to 20 times more efficient than simply disposing of them. By working with a secure vendor, companies can ensure that confidential information is protected and safely wiped from remarketed devices, thereby eliminating security risk. As an added benefit, companies are also able to recapture the value in their electronics.

As suppliers and consumers, individuals and companies, we can’t necessarily reverse the impact e-waste has already had on the environment. But by reframing our view of electronic waste and making deliberate choices that help shift our focus to a more circular approach to the lifecycle of our electronic devices, we can create a new, more sustainable future. A future where precious resources are not continuously extracted, used and then discarded, but rather reused in thoughtful, innovative, and environmentally friendly ways.