10 Electronic Waste Statistics that May Surprise You

E-waste (electronic waste) recyclers play a very important role in the life cycle of almost every business today.  No matter what industry you are in, chances are your organization uses technology to some extent.  Because technology is constantly evolving, so is your business need for replacing an upgrading your electronic equipment.  Out with the old, in with the new means there is a huge need for the proper disposal or repurposing of outdated electronic equipment.

Most of us know that, thankfully, there is an entire industry dedicated to e-waste recycling, repurposing, and redistributing. But did you know The Vested Group offers an ERP solution for businesses in the e-waste and ITAD (information technology asset disposition) industry?

The Vested Group’s electronics processing solution, reVESTED, is a complete business management system that addresses the complex requirements companies in the electronics refurbishing, recycling, and distributing industry face.  We understand your unique needs and business processes and have built an end to end solution on the NetSuite platform that is integrated with NetSuite's market leading cloud ERP system.  You can learn more about reVESTED at this link: http://thevested.com/revested

The electronic waste industry can be fascinating and complex. A few weeks ago, we shared 10 interesting e-waste statistics with our readers and today we have 10 more electronics waste disposal facts.

1.     Not all e-waste recyclers are the same. There are safe ways to recycle e-waste, and there are companies that don't act responsibly. Look for organizations that are certified as following industry and environmental safety standards.

2.     It is estimated that only 29% of global e-waste is handled via the accepted best practice recycling channels.

3.     Plastics in e-waste can be recycled into garden furniture. Battery components can be reused in other batteries. Metals can be used in jewelry and automotive parts.

4.     It is estimated that 40% of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills come from discarded electronics, according to Jonas Allen, Director of Marketing for EPEAT, a global green electronic rating system.

5.     According to Allen, if the recycling rates for gold (15%), silver (15%) and platinum (5%) all increased to 100%, the electronics sector could realize $12 billion in financial and natural capital benefits.

6.     Approximately 350,000 mobile phones are disposed of each day, according to 2010 figures from the EPA. That equates to more than 152 million phones thrown away in one year.

7.     There are more mobile phones in existence than there are number of people living on Earth. The growth rate of mobile devices compared to the population growth rate is five times greater.

8.     The UN University estimates that global e-waste volumes could increase by as much as 33% between 2013-2017.

9.     Many major retailers will take e-waste for recycling, regardless of whether you purchased the product from the retailer or not.

10.  Old television sets as well as CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors contain approximately 4-8 pounds of lead, a neurotoxin. Improper disposal means this toxic substance can leach into the ground.

The Vested Group has built a solution on the NetSuite platform that meets the challenging, industry specific requirements of organizations in the electronics recycling, refurbishment, and redistribution industry.  Our NetSuite based electronic recycling and refurbishment solution, reVESTED, features modules that address contract and commission management, triage and auditing, refurbishment and repair, data destruction, and distribution or recycling.  The Vested Group has worked with multiple electronics recycling and refurbishing organizations and has several years of experience in this field.  If you would like to hear more about our solution and how it works with your specific processes in mind, contact us today to learn more.

We’ll focus on helping you run your business, so you can focus on saving the planet.