Author: ironcore

End-of-life electronics contain precious metals and elements, such as gold, silicon, platinum, and more. Your end-of-life computers and IT assets must be worth a fortune, right? Not exactly, but there are ways that IT departments can maximize the value of old IT equipment. The greatest value is when computers can be repurposed and upcycled, but some equipment is too damaged and must be dismantled and sold for scrap. 

Can You Make Money from End-Of-Life Electronics?

How IT Departments Can Maximize IT Asset Value

It may be tempting for an organization to keep employees on old technology. New electronic equipment is expensive, there’s downtime for installations and training, and any upgrade is disrupting. However, a survey recently found that $1.8 trillion (not a typo – TRILLION!) is lost each year due to technology that should have been retired. Old computers and other electronic devices are slower and often unable to be upgraded to the latest version. 

Storage of End-Of-Life Electronics to Gain the Highest Recovery Value (Make Money from End-Of-Life Electronics)

Once a computer or server “dies,” it’s easy to dismiss and throw it in a trash bin for collection. Taking care of how you store these items may greatly increase the value you receive. However, you can make money from end-of-life electronics. 

Here’s How to Make Money from End-of-Life Electronics

• Store it safely without damage in dry, cool environments
• Laptops should be placed on their sides if put in boxes. Be careful not to stack too many on top of each other on a pallet, which can damage the screens of bottom units. This is especially common in MacBooks.  
• Don’t write or add labels to items that are still in the original boxes & packaging 

Data & Parts Removal

• Hard drive data erasure can increase the value of retired equipment by 5-10%. Shredding or degaussing is costly and returns no additional revenue.
• Keep the covers or panels with the unit (laptop).  Serial-numbered plastic pieces may not be recycled properly. A complete unit will return a higher value than if this part is missing or damaged.  
• WiFi Cards, Optical Drives, and Memory (RAM) contain NO DATA. Mistakenly removing these parts can significantly limit an item’s resale value. Review the below examples to ensure only the hard drive is removed, or let Securis handle it for you.

Laptop Hard Drives and WiFi Cards

Hard Drives usually have a size capacity such as 256GB, 500GB, 1TB printed on the label.

IT asset value recovery isn’t top of mind for most organizations. That concern only comes after obtaining peace of mind regarding keeping sensitive data safe. 4,145 publicly disclosed breaches exposed over 22 billion records in 2021. 

Make Money from End-Of-Life Electronics

If you’re not sure what value your retired IT equipment holds, we’ll help you. Schedule an onsite visit with us with no obligation. We’ll come to you, evaluate your end-of-life equipment and let you know what we predict you’ll regain from your retired assets. 

One of the most important aspects of hiring people to work with Securis is how potential employees fit in with the company culture and our existing team. Specifically, this means that each candidate is measured using Securis’ core values. 

Securis’ Great Core Values

Helps First: Put the team first
Fun: Have the right attitude and stay positive
Hungry: Have big goals and want to conquer the world
Humbly Confident: Be humble, but be confident also
Work-Life Harmony: Both are important but must be in balance
Coachable: Never stop learning
Innovative: Nothing’s carved in stone, Question everything, Look for new ways

The Core Value “Fun” in Action

This weekend, the team celebrated Securis employees and their families while demonstrating some of the company’s core values. The Human Resources team was fun, innovative, and exhibited helping first. 

They organized a great event with games, prizes, food, and even a magic show for the children and Franklin the dog (and let’s admit it, the adults as well).  

Core Value: Innovative

The day of fun included quite a variety of innovative games and activities including an Oreo contest, a whipped cream game, and a competitive watermelon eating contest.

It got a bit messy, but we don’t judge. We’re all in for commitment and team playing (and perhaps a bit of friendly competition).

Looks like an Olympian-tiered medal ceremony, although there seems to be a bit of confusion, as the 3rd place winner seems to have not even taken a single bite. Perhaps this is her second or third watermelon?

These kids are obviously taking each competition very seriously…

Two lucky winners took home raffle prizes. Congratulations!

Good food, good friends, and workplace diversity come together as a true work family, solidified in core values, mission, and focus.

There are a lot of job opportunities out there, and many different life paths. Secuirs offers an amazing workplace that’s growing, hiring, and will be the best place you’ll ever work. Securis people come together to make great things happen for families, companies, government agencies, and the planet through equipment recycling, data destruction, and a commitment to serving employees, customers, and vendors the way that Christ served his people.

Interested in working for Securis? Here are our current career opportunities.

When his family threw out an old microwave, eighth-grader Eric Akers figured there must be a better way to get rid of old electronics. Concern for the environment and his future led him to Google, where he researched electronics recycling and available options. He wondered where that old microwave could have gone rather than ending up in a landfill.

Eric’s search led him to Securis, where he learned about Securis’ monthly electronic waste recycling event. He found the event nearest him, located in Northern Virginia.

Eric decided to help his neighbors bring their end-of-life electronics to Securis for recycling. He knew right then how he could help his neighborhood, the planet, and meet the requirements for his J.L. Simpson Middle School National Junior Honor Society project, which was happening during the same time.

Through his neighborhood’s and school’s Facebook groups, Eric began to figure out how to best collect the most end-of-life electronics. He wanted to make a big impact and keep retired computers and other e-waste from seeping harmful chemicals into the earth.

To make it easy for nearby schools and communities, he placed a box on his front porch. He was pleased to see how quickly it was filled. His efforts were so popular that neighbors were calling him to make sure he still wanted their unusable electronic devices. He did want them.

During the month leading up to Securis’ IT recycling event, Eric continued to collect old computers, phones, wires, and other electronic products from his neighbors. At first, he tried to keep an inventory of everything that he collected. After receiving 184 cords, he lost track of what was being dropped off and focused on the fact that people were participating in his e-waste recycling initiative.

When the time came, Eric and his family packed the bed of his dad’s truck with the e-waste he’d collected. They brought all of it to Securis to properly recycle. His recycling project included a wide variety of items like computers, phones, wires and cables, speakers, DVD players, and other electronic equipment. Holiday lights were even included in Securis’ list of acceptable items for the community electronics recycling event.

Securis is thrilled to see initiatives like Eric’s recycling project, a mission we’re passionate about. Our younger generations are sure to continue with a commitment to environmentally-friendly recycling. These events help to protect our natural resources.

Many electronics recycling companies don’t guarantee the safety of the data remaining on old devices. Secuirs’ mission is to protect data. In addition to aiding in environmental protection, Eric’s project helped keep his neighbor’s personal information safe!

Securis offers monthly events for communities to properly dispose of their old and unused electronics. If you’d like to set up a pick-up for your community, please fill out our form to get more information.

United Kingdom, 2022 – Acquisition International Magazine has announced the 2021 Global Green Business Awards winners. Securis is honored to be named the Best eWaste Recycling Specialist – USA.

The Global Green Awards recognize businesses that strive for environmentally-friendly ideologies at the core of their business practices. This award covers more than just the corporate landscape. Winners have been announced within technology, packaging, food and drink, exercise, and more.

Integrating green initiatives within a business can not only add to the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and benefit the company but also set an example for many others. Securis is proud to be among such an elite group of organizations dedicated to the environment.

To view, click the magazine image and scroll to page 4 for Securis.

In a global market, it’s affirming to have Securis’ 20+ years of experience recognized as the Best eWaste Recycling Specialist in the United States. Securis understands the importance of proper e-waste disposal. If old computers, monitors, and other electronics are not properly recycled, harmful chemicals seep into the Earth. That our dedication is seen and rewarded with the Global Green Business Award Best eWaste Recycling Specialists is appreciated.

Securis is passionate about minimizing the impact created by irresponsible disposal of old electronics and computers. The company is dedicated to continually providing solutions to safely dispose of obsolete electronics.

For the future of our business and the global environment, it is the responsibility of all companies, organizations, and individuals to reduce the scope of both their professional and personal carbon footprints.

Securis will continue to responsibly recycle retired computers, laptops, keyboards, servers, phones, monitors, and other electronics. It is our duty to ensure that nothing ends up in a landfill, in compliance with our zero-export policy.

Trust Securis for your e-waste recycling needs. Contact us today.

Related

E-Waste Recycling FAQs

IT Recycling

We wish you and yours a very happy holiday and a new year full of laughter, comfort, and blessings. We hope you’ll enjoy our holiday video (click to play)!

Best,

The Securis Team

Earlier this month, Securis employees and a few guests headed to the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner for the High Tech Prayer Breakfast where they occupied five tables. The breakfast is a ministry dedicated to bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the business community of Northern Virginia and Washington DC. The annual breakfast features well-known speakers from the community who deliver a message about the influence a personal relationship with Jesus Christ has had on his or her life and business.

Securis is pleased to support the annual event, particularly because it is aligned with the company’s core focus, which is to serve employees, customers, and vendors like Christ served his people. High Tech Prayer Breakfast – DC Metro, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to minister to the spiritual needs of individuals in the high tech business community in an interdenominational manner.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that on America Recycles Day, they will release the final version of The National Recycling Strategy. This is part one in a series on building a circular economy. During last year’s America Recycles Day, the EPA announced the goal of increasing the United States recycling rate to 50% by 2030.

In order to achieve this goal, the EPA has defined three key metrics to measure:

1. Reduce contamination in recycling
2. Make our recycling processing system more efficient
3. Strengthen the economic markets for recycled materials

Read more about the overview and methods of measurement for the three goals on epa.gov.

As a data destruction and electronics recycling company, Securis was interested in the information gathered regarding the recycling of electronics. The EPA has created a table that shows data from 1960 to 2018 showing the total number of tons of electronics recycled, composted, combusted with energy recovery and landfilled. See the full data table on the EPA’s electronics page.

The EPA has compiled a list of possible actions that corporations can do to support recycling, including the following:

1. Commit to purchasing products made with recycled content (such as plastic bags and bins made
   from post-consumer plastic resin (PCR).
2. Develop and share messaging about buying products made with recycled content.
3. Host dialogues with manufacturers and other stakeholders to learn what policies, programs and
   incentives would promote greater use of recycled content in products.

For more information on what your organization can do, understanding the issues, and facts and figures about waste, materials, and recycling, visit their Sustainable Materials Management page.