Questions You Should Be Asking Your Prospective Recycler

Before deciding on a recycler for your electronics waste (e-Waste) management solution, we encourage you to consider these questions. Careful analysis will ensure that your e-Waste is in fact being properly recycled and that your environmental liabilities are being addressed.

Complete this questionnaire in assessing a recycler so as to cover your liabilities.

1. Do you have a “closed loop system”?

This will assure you that all materials are traceable, as they are sourced, sorted, processed and recycled by the company. Can the company trace all materials received and tell you what happens to them or are the materials “farmed out" to to a third party for processing?

2. What products do you currently recycle?

Can the recycler provide a convenient “one-stop” shop recycling service?

3. What products and volumes do you send to the incinerator?

The existing incineration recycling processes for e-Waste are releasing Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions and other dangerous air pollutants such as dioxins, heavy metals and hazardous acids.

4. What products and volumes do you currently send to landfills?

Electronics that have been discarded in landfills are releasing toxins and polluting the environment. When brominated flame-retarded plastic or cadmium containing plastics are landfilled, both PBDE and the cadmium may leach into the soil and groundwater. Significant amounts of lead ions are dissolved from broken lead containing glass such that of CRTs when mixed with acid rain. In addition to the dangers posed by the leaching of mercury, the vaporization of metallic and dimethylene mercury also presents high risks.

5. Do you provide certificates of destruction?

Fully secured destruction is essential for the protection of all proprietary technology, R&D prototypes and confidential and high value materials. These assurances are of paramount importance for your business sustainability.

6. Do you provide certificates of recycling?

It is essential for the recycler to provide these to the waste generator relieving them from their environmental and other liabilities.

7. Do you accept CRTs and other lead containing glass materials? If so, what do you do with these materials?

Each computer monitor contains approximately four (4) pounds of lead. It is this lead content which raises concern over landfilling or incinerating discarded CRTs. Only the proper management of these materials can ensure that there will be no environmental contamination. The burning or incineration of e-Waste discharges CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, H4S, HCP and other toxic gases. These compounds cause significant amounts of air pollution and have been linked to global warming and climate changes through the production of Green House Gas Emissions.