From broken computers and damaged phones to long-discarded servers, it's easy for the pile of redundant IT equipment to build up in a fast-paced working environment – and businesses have a responsibility to get rid of it in a safe, secure and sustainable way.
Making the process a little simpler for any business in need of a digital declutter, SoGlos shares five important things that Gloucestershire businesses need to keep in mind when disposing of their commercial IT equipment.
There's specific IT recycling legislation in place
The UK government has regulations in place to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment sent to landfill or incinerated – with laws and guidance to encourage the reuse, recycling and recovery of these unwanted products and components instead.
Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) 2013, businesses in the UK are required to recycle all of their electrical and electronic waste – including all IT equipment, as well as things like fridges and televisions – in an environmentally-responsible way.
Helping Gloucestershire businesses to comply with these guidelines, Recycle IT 4 Free provides a free collection service for redundant IT equipment, taking care of everything from secure data destruction to recycling, so you don't have to worry.
It's important to reduce waste to landfill
Not only is it a legal requirement under WEEE, it's also important for companies to commit to reducing their environmental impact by avoiding sending as much commercial waste to landfill as they can.
With Gloucestershire striving to achieve net zero carbon by 2030, most companies have a carbon neutral aim or target to reach – and by using Recycle IT 4 Free, they can rest assured that their old IT equipment will be recycled or repurposed once all of their data has been wiped and destroyed.
You need secure data destruction for GDPR compliance
On the topic of data destruction, businesses are required to protect personal data when disposing of IT equipment, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Information Commissioner's Office (ISO) – meaning that all data must be securely removed from any hard drives and storage devices before they are recycled.
Gloucestershire businesses can ensure they're meeting their GDPR compliance responsibilities and following data protection laws by hiring Recycle IT 4 Free to dispose of their redundant IT equipment.
Recycle IT 4 Free offers progressive levels of data destruction to meet a company's individual security requirements – from using a dumb machine to wipe and overwrite a hard drive with binary code, to physically crushing or shredding them on site for a small cost, eliminating any chance of a data breach.
You'll need proof that your data has been destroyed
Once the deed is done, businesses will need written proof that their data has been destroyed and can't be recovered. Recycle IT 4 Free provides companies with all the paperwork they need to show that their data was safely wiped and permanently erased in the recycling process.
Companies who opt for its free, off-site data destruction service, which is suitable for non-sensitive and encrypted data, will get a generic Certificate of Data Destruction as standard – with more detailed certificates containing serial numbers available on request at the time of booking. Meanwhile, its higher levels of on-site data destruction come with an itemised Certificate of Data Destruction, recording the serial and model numbers of hard drives.
It's an opportunity to fulfil your corporate social responsibility
As well as pledges to protect the environment, most companies have a corporate social responsibility too, promising to contribute to society by making charitable donations, volunteering or supporting ethical practices.
Gloucestershire businesses can make a real difference to the community by enlisting the help of Recycle IT 4 Free to dispose of their IT equipment, without needing to go down the typical route of monetary donations or getting their staff involved in volunteering schemes.
Opt for its Silver Lining IT asset disposal service and 50 per cent of the value of your collected assets will go directly to Every Cloud Play and Creative Arts Therapy, a Cheltenham-based organisation which supports local children and young people with their mental health through child-centred play therapy. You'll even get a follow-up report from Every Cloud, detailing how your contribution made a difference. Visit everycloudtherapy.org.uk to find out more.
