An IT asset is any information owned by the company, its hardware or system used in the business activities of that company. The IT asset disposal process can be fraught with risk, but the riskiest element is environmental compliance with federal and state regulations. There’s also the disaster that could strike if company assets were found to be leaking toxic materials into the environment, being processed under unsafe working conditions abroad in a landfill, or falling apart in a landfill. To make sure disposal of your IT assets is compliant with environmental regulations, here are some key facts to know.

When you say “free,” you don’t always mean that

There are IT recycling providers that will offer to take the assets and dispose of them at no cost to the business. When you ask them how they can do this, they may tell you that they will make money selling the assets for scrap. This should throw up a red flag and make you suspicious. When an IT asset material has some scrap value, it’s usually not enough to sustain an environmentally compliant recycling business. If your business has to pay fines for a business that practices poor recycling, those “free” services could cost your business a fortune. So if an IT asset disposal center offers to dispose of your business assets for free, look for another service.

Downstream does matter

Many of these companies have downstream partners that they hand over the assets to for further processing and it’s usually material that they can’t sell. One important thing to keep in mind is that your company is responsible for all IT assets that you have disposed of through the chain of custody. This is from the time it leaves your company to the final disposal site. To make sure that the company you choose is compliant with environmental regulations, you need to make sure that everyone involved is also compliant. Make sure you know where your IT assets are going.

Certificate

This is the most reliable way to ensure that the company you are considering complies with environmental regulations. Typically, there is no one in your company who has the expertise or time to audit IT asset disposal recycling center practices from start to finish. You don’t have to take their word for it that they and their partners deliver. Ask to see their certification for safe and compliant IT asset recycling, which is one or both of these certificates, R2/RIOS and e-Stewards. To obtain these certificates, they must also monitor their partners and provide documented proof that the disposal of IT assets complies with all standards and laws.