Whenever possible, CompuCycle advocates cost-effective reuse and refurbishment of functional computer equipment. However, when assets have reached the end of their usable life, you can rely on us for environmentally safe, responsible disposition and recycling of computer assets.
E-waste has become the most rapidly escalating waste stream in the industrialized world,* and when you crack open a modern day computer, it’s not hard to see why responsible e-recycling is of paramount importance. Common ingredients inside of our everyday electronics include:
- Mercury - brain and kidney damage; fetus development damage
- Lead - brain, kidney, and nervous system damage; blood disorders
- Cadmium - kidney and bone damage
- Beryllium – cancer
- Barium - brain swelling; heart, liver, and spleen damage
- Hexavalent Chromium - DNA damage, asthmatic bronchitis
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - forms Dioxin when burned
All of which can end up in landfills, ground water, or being processed in open air by unprotected human labor.
What do “free” recyclers do with their waste?
“Free” recyclers basically ship cargo, regularly slats of whole, nonworking machines, overseas. Under current economic conditions, parts recovered from your monitors, printers, and UPS devices are worth close to nothing, if not a negative balance. Recycling CRT glass, for example, should always cost the recycler money. If a “recycler” can pay you or take in materials for free, a better title would be a waste broker. Many of his goods are destined for developing countries, lacking the infrastructure to process toxic materials but oversupplied with enough cheap labor to sufficiently cannibalize valuable remaining parts.
Simply view this special report from 60 Minutes entitled The Wasteland for a first-hand look into the e-waste trade..
CompuCycle works very differently.
We maintain extremely high standards throughout our recycling process. Within our Houston facility, CompuCycle de-manufactures your electronics in order to process the precious metals and reusable resources found in circuit boards, CRT glass, batteries, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and plastics. These materials are shipped to processors within OECD and EU countries that have strong reputations as environmental stewards and acceptable downstream practices.
Protect your company’s reputation from a public relations disaster, information piracy, or a breach in liability. CompuCycle pledges to:
- Demanufacture your machines adhering to the e-Steward guidelines created by the Basel Action Network, an international group of activists focused on ending the environmental injustice caused by the toxic trade of e-waste. These guidelines are far and away the strictest and most comprehensive set of standards for the e-recycling industry.
- A ‘No landfill, No Exceptions’ policy that satisfies the stringent environmental policies held by some of our largest corporate clients
- Protect your business with our comprehensive liability insurance. We have an unblemished history without one environmental claim against us.
- Continue our active membership in the Recycling Alliance of Texas and the Electronic Resource Recovery Council. These two associations work with the government to continually refine disposal regulations in the interest of environmental safety.
- Participate in national and local recycling events, share industry knowledge with the public, and continually inform Houston citizens about how e-recycling affects us at home. So, check out our blog or follow us on Twitter to learn more!
If you’d like to visit our facility or learn more about our downstream practices, call or email Lawrence Barris or Denia Mejia. You can even view a slideshow of our facility here. We’d love to for you to see first-hand our commitment to responsible e-recycling.
Visit our blog to keep up with the latest news in the e-recycling industry or follow us on Twitter for instant updates covering recycling, tech, and Houston news.
* Basel Action Network, Exporting Harm, The High-Tech Trashing of Asia, 2002
