The world’s e-waste is a huge problem, 50 million tons of ewaste is produced each year, and left unchecked this could more than double to 120 million tons by 2050. This is according to a study by the World Economic Forum.
By Wale Arewa, CEO of Xperien
The insatiable demand for new electronic devices is creating the world’s fastest-growing waste stream and the United Nations calls it a tsunami of ewaste. It is therefore crucial for organisations to adopt a more circular vision when it comes to ITAD.
Circular Economy
Service providers like Xperien participate in projects that supply computers to IT refresh programs, delivering on functionality and also low on cost. Its refurbished products are especially popular in South Africa’s call centre environment, largely because they match the specification and functionally required by this industry.
Refurbished electronics are also ideal for schools, learning centres and CSI programmes. Annually, Xperien‘s ISO accredited IT refurbishment factory CRS WORX processes more than over 30 000 tier 1 laptops, desktops and servers manufactured by Dell, HP and Lenovo. In addition, it distributes CRS equipment to the retail trade with a 12-month warranty.
Value Recovery
ITAD is more than recycling eWaste, a good sustainability plan should include the resell of tested, working IT assets and parts.
Disjointed ITAD increases your risks and hurts your bottom line. ITAD service providers need to provide a one-stop solution for decommissioning and retiring end-of-life IT equipment, a solution that manages all aspects of the IT lifecycle; including transportation, identification, testing, repair, data sanitisation and value recovery.
The solution should include the collection, data erasure and reporting so that customers can dispose of their equipment knowing that they have complied with relevant legislation and have received the best value for their redundant IT equipment.
They need to offer fair market value for end-of-life and redundant IT equipment by implementing a tailor made value recovery plan for the IT assets, by purchasing the hardware to balance value and velocity and by promoting reuse while helping recoup value.
Data Destruction
Disk drives, flash memory and backup tapes are a major security threat for any business, they store a massive amount of confidential data that can easily be compromised.
Destroying data is only half the challenge, one needs to deliver solutions that allow businesses to remain POPIA and GDPR compliant at any stage of the data or asset lifecycle – whether it’s in a main centre or remote location.
ITAD service providers need to provide cost-effective solutions to combat the challenges associated with data loss and to mitigate reputational risk. Their compliance must meet the CEGS and NIST SP 800-88 standards, particularly in terms of data-destruction processes.
Data erasure solutions like DestroyData are NIST800-80 complaint and allow customers to reduce cost without compromising safety. It can be done from any locations where one can guarantee a safe chain of custody for data transfers between the premises and the processing facilities. This is also the most sustainable solution, allowing the drive to be reused.
Xperien boasts a DestroyData truck that crushes hard drives onsite, ideal for clients that need to comply with older physical destruction standards. This usually includes drives that have failed sanitisation and the destruction of data backup tapes.
Compliance
ITAD service providers need to protect the clients’ personal information and intellectual property that resides on their computers during technology changes and at “end-of-service. They need to provide secure cost-effective ITAD solutions to combat the challenges associated with data loss and to mitigate reputational risk.
Ensure the service provider has obtained ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 accreditations specifically for ITAD. More importantly, it is critical that compliance meets the NIST 800-88, DoD 5220.22-M and CEGS criteria, particularly in terms of data-destruction processes, while adherence to the Protection of Personal Information Act of 2013 (POPIA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is core to our business.
Sustainability
Always ensure that the lifespan and functionality of IT equipment is optimised for effective service – many years beyond its original intention – before being considered for recycling. This will ensure that our planet’s resources are not squandered by consumerism and apathetic use.
ITAD services enable organisations to achieve maximum return on investment by utilising their IT infrastructure in a sustainable manner, ensuring that IT hardware (that is retired from current use) is sanitised, refurbished and redeployed into the circular economy – in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
With sustainability at its core, Xperien is redefining the way corporations manage their technology in a more ethical, sustainable and socially responsible way. At the same time, its IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) programme will help business leaders deliver against a growing sustainability agenda by introducing eco-friendly initiatives to reduce ewaste.
The company has a passionate team of professionals who care about the planet, its people and its resources. It strives to make a contribution by redefining the way corporations use IT hardware.