In a space crowded with electronics recyclers, it can be hard to pinpoint the right fit for your business’ needs. What key qualifications should you look for in your corporate electronics recycling partner? What steps are being taken to ensure the integrity of your data is not compromised?
Here’s a helpful guide to the top factors you should consider when selecting a corporate electronics recycling expert.
What to Look For: Certifications
In recent years, with the growing need for reliable electronic equipment, the IT asset disposition (ITAD) services market has exploded. Almost anyone can adopt the ITAD label, but not every ITAD vendor has the correct certifications to back up their claims. Without those certifications, a company has no way to prove it provides responsible recycling solutions—which, as we’ve seen with recent legal battles, can come back to haunt your business later.
What separates a “good” electronics recycler apart from a “great” recycling partner? A great ITAD partner follows the industry’s best practices and participates in annual audits as part of certification. These audits ensure a certified company continuously meets certification criteria and that none of its efficiencies or processes start to lapse. When looking for an ITAD partner, look specifically for these two certifications:
- NIST SP 800-88: The NIST guidelines are published by the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology and include rigorous and comprehensive instructions on best practices for data sanitization. You should, upon request, be able to receive data destruction reports and certificates, including an end-of-use certificate, DLA Form 1822, a Certificate of Destruction (DOD), and a Certificate of Sanitization (COS) that capture and list serial numbers of sanitized drives.
- R2: R2 is the recycling standard administered by Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI). Certified electronics recyclers have demonstrated that they continually meet specific high environmental standards and safely manage used electronics. Once certified, the recyclers undergo regular third-party audits to ensure continued adherence.
What to Look For: Customized Solutions
If a corporate electronics recycler is only offering cookie-cutter solutions for your business, consider that a red flag. Recycling needs can differ drastically depending on the size of a business, pickup or packaging needs, and the kind of equipment needing to be refurbished, resold, or recycled. A strong partner will work alongside you to understand your unique needs and goals, and deliver customized solutions to satisfy those needs.
When selecting an electronics recycler and evaluating ITAD services, ask about what solutions are offered and how potential issues are addressed along the way. Your electronics recycler should be able to offer a comprehensive suite of services and paint a very clear picture of how it can provide added value at each step of the process. With the right partner, you should receive a disposition strategy that aligns with your specific goals and priorities.
What to Look For: Good Ratings
With so many new electronics recyclers popping up across the country, it’s important to consider factors like longevity and good feedback from previous clients when choosing a partner. Longevity in the industry shows that an electronics partner is stable enough to survive within the market, and that the company has many years of industry knowledge that may be helpful to your ITAD process. It also means the recycler has had time to build connections with other vendors and distributors to get you the best value recovery with your electronic assets.
Good online ratings show that an electronics recycler has successfully delivered great services for other businesses like yours. Take some time to research how an ITAD vendor has delivered on similar services as the ones you need, and what people say about the internal and external environment or culture. Alternatively, a business with no (or negative) ratings should be a red flag when selecting an ITAD partner.
What to Look For: Fair Pricing
The cost (or estimated return) quote should be another factor you consider when evaluating different ITAD partners. But, beware of accepting only the lowest quote — as you may very well get what you pay for. As a general rule, if a quote comes in way below everyone else’s, it could be a sign that something is amiss. Operating a certified ITAD company requires significant resources to provide customized solutions with optimized value recovery while leveraging the latest in data destruction technology. Additionally, reputable ITAD partners must work to maintain certifications and hire experienced personnel to ensure successful operations. While you certainly don’t want to pay an excessively high price, beware of eye-catchingly low estimates. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
All of these important features tend to set legitimate ITAD companies apart from the pack. When your business is ready to upgrade, move or liquidate your IT assets, consider Global Electronic Recycling as a certified partner with a long record of effectively recovering value and complying with environmental and regulatory rules.
Read More:
ITAD Services in Arizona: What to look for
Evaluating ITAD companies and other lessons from the Morgan Stanley data breach
In an increasingly crowded market, how do you find the right ITAD partner?
