America Recycles Day brings awareness to the hard work done by over half a million people in this country to develop and improve recycling. Through awareness and education, we shine a light on one of the easiest ways we can all become more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprints. At Electronics Value Recovery we work every day educating our customers to help them be more sustainable and secure in their recycling programs, while generating green value across their business. The past year during COVID has shown just how essential recycling, and electronics recycling and refurbishing specifically, can be.
Covid Brought An Unprecedented Demand for Computers
During COVID, we showed the resiliency of domestic supply-chains. Recyclers had to reinvent their businesses overnight to adapt to changing rules, and above all, keep their employees safe. An unprecedented demand for computers and laptops was created overnight. Recyclers, ITADs, and computer refurbishers sprung into action. One of the core focuses performed by any electronics recycler is destroying data securely and refurbishing used computers. Millions of people needed to access technology from their homes. Refurbished electronics became a pivotal link between one person’s waste to another’s ability work and attend school remotely. Refurbished devices help to bridge the digital divide.
Recycling and Refurbishing are a Cornerstone of the Circular Economy
As the world has an ever growing awareness and desire to be sustainable, recycling and refurbishing will play an increasingly important role. Billions of people around the world do not have access to technology. Extending the life of current IT Equipment reduces the extraction of billions of pounds of raw material. Commodity grade recovery from recycling is orders of magnitude better for the planet than mining. Finally, the amount of carbon on a per ton basis is almost a 20x reduction on reused material, and nearly 4x less on recycled and recovered items. Expanding what we can recycle and extending items’ life through reuse play a pivotal role in a greener and more sustainable future. We still have much work to do.
I am happy for all of the Recyclers in my life as we celebrate America Recycles Day. I thank our suppliers, our partners, our customers, and most of all, our employees. Our employees are the lifeblood of our business, and their toughness was shown as they persevered through COVID. The people in this business are silent soldiers as we fight for a greener, and more sustainable future for our children and future generations. I count myself lucky to have found this industry, and for the hundreds of friendships I have been able to develop in this business. Thanks for Recycling!