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Choosing Your Recycler
Let's face it, on the internet all recyclers look pretty much the same and it can be difficult to differentiate between them. Creating an attractive website is relatively easy, whereas investing hundreds of millions of dollars in multiple locations containing high-tech recycling equipment, security systems and a safe, well-trained workforce is a different ball-game.
Sims Recycling Solutions not only operates more recycling facilities than any other North American recycler, but more importantly, these facilities are large enough and contain sufficient recycling equipment to actually do the job. Many "recyclers" have multiple facilities, but these are often office locations or "freight hubs" operated by a third party. If you have been told that a 20,000 sqft facility is recycling 10m lbs per year, here's some information to help set the record straight.
Recycling electronics takes space and equipment, whereas exporting only takes a few forklifts to load the container. The average size of our North American sites is 140,000 sqft, with our larger processing sites being 200,000 sqft and larger.
In North America we recycled over 250 million lbs of electronics in 2008 which is around 25M lbs in each 140,000 sqft site - if your recycler has a 20,000 sqft site and says they "handle" 10M lbs, beware! The basic-handling part of a recycling facility should look like the photo to the right.
The equipment required to safely and economically recycle old electronics is not small or cheap. After a range of hazards removal stages (removing mercury bulbs, lithium batteries, etc), redundant ewaste is recovered on a mechanical recycling line. A full recycling line with the necessary safety and environmental controls costs several million dollars and looks like the plant to the left.
If your "recycler's" shredder and recycling line only looks like the size of a large refrigerator it is only a hard-drive shredder and cannot recycle full-sized equipment. You may wish to ask your recycler how they are going to recycle your computer or laser printer - it is not economical in North America to hand-dismantle them.
Many recyclers will discuss how they handle your data security concerns, but will be solely focussed on computers and servers. This is a mistake as there are a whole range of electronic devices that have data security concerns. Ensure your recycler is fully up to date with all regulations and standards and be very careful you do not end up having a Data Disaster. Sims Recycling Solutions is a NYSE publicly quoted company that deals with many military and law enforcement bodies.
Sims Recycling Solutions operates ISO 14001 approved facilities, but more importantly, operates to an Environmental Management Standard. A fake "recycler" who exports all their ewaste to developing countries could obtain ISO 14001 provided they manage their site well - but that is hardly the point! Again, look at the size of the recycling equipment and of the facility itself - if they do not look like the photos above then your equipment could be heading to a developing country.
Sims Recycling Solutions is the world's largest electronics recycler with our own ewaste recycling facilities in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Germany, India, Singapore and South Africa.
Part of Sims Metal Management, an NYSE publicly quoted company, we recycled over 900 million lbs of electronics in 2008. Sims was recently listed in the Global 100 most Sustainable Corporations in the World at the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
While size does not necessarily equate with quality of service, when it comes to recycling your old electronic equipment and the management of the significant data and environmental risks associated with it, you should feel comfortable that your recycler has a depth of knowledge and a level of professionalism commensurate with your own.