Back in 2019, the UK produced a total of 1.6 million tonnes of e-waste. By 2024, the nation will become the biggest e-waste producer in Europe per capita. This is a significant stat, suggesting that the government’s current priority is not to prevent this from taking place. There are regulations for manufacturers, importers and distributors to comply with but no real urgency to resolve the problem. Although concerning, it gives businesses the chance to take a stance.

As we are heading in a greener direction, businesses – whether they’re big or small – need to play their part in helping protect the environment. A brilliant way of achieving this is by reusing, repurposing, and recycling current technology.

What do businesses, therefore, need to keep in mind?

Improperly disposing of tech has environmental implications.

Before throwing that work laptop in the bin, it’s worth reading up on the impact this simple act can have on the environment. When that laptop becomes e-waste, it is automatically hazardous. The components found in its screen (mercury, lead, cadmium etc.) can leak into soil or pollute water and then eventually enter the food chain from animals and, finally, us.

But how is this a problem?

Well, if we are exposed to high levels of lead, it can damage our nervous or reproductive systems. For mercury, methylmercury, in particular, we may experience a loss of peripheral vision and speech/hearing/walking impairment. In the case of cadmium, people have experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, kidney damage, fragile bones, and even death.

The atmosphere can be damaged when e-waste is also exposed to the sun. We need the atmosphere to breathe, but also due to the fact that it protects us from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation. It even helps form liquids due to the pressure it provides, meaning water would cease to exist. All in all, e-waste is slowly but surely destroying the planet.

Businesses can ensure this doesn’t happen by properly handling their tech products.

Reusing, repurposing and recycling tech is now the way forward.

To make sure any of the above ceases to continue, it’s best for businesses to either reuse, repurpose or recycle the existing tech. It can also present plenty of welcome benefits.

Benefits of reusing tech

First off, businesses will be saving a whole lot of money! There will be no need for new products, which are growing in price all the time, or even the services of trash disposal companies. Also, less time and energy will be consumed going through the tedious process of replacing items.

Benefits of repurposing tech

There are a number of weird and wonderful ways to repurpose tech. Perhaps look to display old computers and monitors in the office to remind everyone of the business’s history. Or try to give it a new home through an employee or customer. Everyone loves a freebie after all, don’t they?!

Benefits of recycling tech

By recycling old tech, valuable materials such as silver, gold and tin can be put to good use. The world only contains a finite amount of resources that we can use. So it is best not to waste where we can recycle. Go to a recycling centre or donate to charity instead.

So how can our products prolong the life of software and tech?

At Global EMEA, we offer a number of different services and products for businesses to take advantage of. To prolong the life of software and tech, The All-New WipeDrive 9.7 is the perfect product! Simply put, WipeDrive 9.7 ensures sensitive data remains secure even when IT assets are repurposed or leave the company entirely. Deleting files or performing a factory reset is no longer enough to guarantee the data has been removed. But WipeDrive most certainly can.

If recycling a device, the information previously on it can still be easily accessible with readily available tools and software. Using WipeDrive’s military-grade wiping technology, that data is overwritten multiple times using Department-of-Defense-approved wipe patterns. So, even with the most sophisticated tools on the planet, this data will be completely unrecoverable.

If the tech is infected with a virus or malware, WipeDrive can clear it and get the device back to a safe, working condition. And if it’s running slowly, WipeDrive will wipe the whole hard drive, ready for a new operating system to be installed. When looking to reuse, this is exactly what’s needed.

WipeDrive is here to help businesses reduce their e-waste both safely and significantly.

To find out more, visit our website today! Alternatively, give us a call on 0345 340 3105 to speak directly to our team or fill out an enquiry form. We look forward to hearing from you and welcome any potential questions you may possibly have.