The ITAD industry is consolidating. While businesses know the importance of recycling electronics to keep toxic materials out of the landfills and environment, it’s not always easy. For businesses in more rural areas, recycling can seem impossible. As ITAD businesses consolidate and others shut down, it makes it even more difficult. It doesn’t have to be.
When Arrow Radio launched in 1935, no one could have predicted how much the electronics company would grow. The Fortune 500 company had revenues of almost $30 billion in 2020. One of Arrow’s big steps took place in 1969 when it acquired Schuylkill Metals Corporation, a company that specialized in recycling lead, which brought the company into e-recycling.
Arrow Sustainable Technology Solutions shut down in 2019 after losing around $17 million. Arrow has become one of several businesses in ITAD to leave the industry. Others like ECS Refining have also shut down in the past few years. Many cite finances as a reason they simply cannot stay open.
Businesses are turning more towards cloud storage than they used to. This also impacts the ITAD industry. With data stored in just a handful of places, ITAD providers have to compete to get contracts with these cloud storage providers that provide services to hundreds of businesses.
The pandemic is only making it worse. Corporations stopped needing ITAD services as employees shifted to their home offices with their own printers and computers. Other industries shut down for now and workers are at home with nothing to do. Plus, e-recycling was considered a non-essential business. Companies deemed non-essential had no choice but to temporarily shutter their doors and layoff workers. All of this is impacting the ITAD industry.
When all is said it done, it won’t be surprising to see more ITAD specialists consolidate. What does this mean? Are states going to give up on e-waste recycling? Should you prepare to start throwing out your electronic devices again? As ITAD providers remain closed or consolidate with others, what are you supposed to do?
Growth is Inevitable
One closing door just means another has opened somewhere else. ITAD providers that close down are often purchased by someone else. They may go away, but there is going to be another ITAD provider available to fill a need. New programs also start up.
Amazon and ERI recently partnered to create e-waste bins for consumers in several communities. The Secure Electronics Recycling Bin program enables consumers to drop off electronics that measure up to 29 by 11 inches in size. The drop-off program is free, so you don’t pay anything to dispose of smaller electronics like cellphones, laptops, scanners, portable hard drives, etc. It’s a good option if you have workers in home offices who aren’t sure what to do and are asking you for guidance.
When the recycling bin is full, it’s brought to one of ERI’s eight locations for processing. Data is destroyed, items are examined, and they’re recycled or refurbished. If the item is still viable, it becomes part of Amazon’s refurbished items program. You’ll find these bins in Los Angeles and San Jose, California; Chicago, Illinois; College Park, Maryland; Brookline, Massachusetts; Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Austin and Lubbock, Texas; and Seattle, Washington.
This isn’t the first bin program for ERI. New York City’s E-Cycle NYC program is set up for residents in apartments to recycle electronics like computers, monitors, printers, and TVs in E-Cycle bins. The city also hosts outdoor recycling events from time to time. While this program is only for residents, employees working from a home office and using their own electronics can take advantage of it.
That can help workers in remote offices, but it won’t help businesses. What do you do if you need ITAD services and things are temporarily closed?
ITAD For Every Zip Code
As cities and states reopen industries, things will pick up. Some ITAD providers never saw things slow down as they shifted to helping others. ERI is servicing every zip code in America and continuing to grow their ITAD program literally by the day.
ERI’s Asset Recovery Program values your electronics, wipes the data, tests them, repairs anything that needs repairing, and resells it. You get some of your money back. You should always make this part of your ITAD requirements. If something has value, you want to recapture it. While the industry will bounce back, you might not be able to wait if you want top dollar for your electronics. If that’s the case, look into electronics recycling kits that allow you to recycle electronics from any state.
Why Not Rely on Electronics Recycling Kits?
As companies merge and others shut down, focus on choosing the best for your ITAD needs and look for recycling kits. ERI is the only ITAD provider to have a home box program for contact-free pick-up of your electronic devices. Our recycling kit program is the only e-Stewards, NAID, and R2 certified program in the U.S. What do those certifications mean?
Companies may say they process and recycle electronics here in the U.S., but there have been a handful that got caught in a lie. They claim they process everything here, but they really sell the electronics to other countries. What happens there is anyone’s guess. With e-Stewards, NAID, and R2 certifications, the company guarantees that items are processed in the U.S. using sustainable practices. Nothing is sent overseas or disposed of in a landfill illegally. Laws are followed and environmentally-friendly practices are adhered to. Surprise audits ensure that companies are not violating any of the rules of these certifications.
With electronics recycling kits, you don’t have to find an ITAD provider that’s open. The company comes to you. It’s the smartest way to recycle your computers, printers, and other office equipment. You don’t have to load a vehicle, drive to a facility, and unload everything. The home box program makes others do the heavy lifting. You buy the kit and that kit includes recycling, data destruction, and shipping.
Boxes or pallets and packaging arrives at your home or office via UPS. Fill it with your electronic devices, use the included packaging tape to seal it up, and call UPS to pick it up. UPS delivers the box to ERI where we destroy the data and recycle the components using sustainable methods. Every step of the way, you can track where your electronics are. It gives you peace of mind.
With eight locations, we provide ITAD services to every corner of the nation. You don’t have to struggle to find an ITAD provider that details chain-of-custody every step of the way. We’re happy to help. We pride ourselves in recycling electronics while also protecting the world.