Ultimate Guide To Corporate Electronic Recycling  

E-waste, also called electronic waste, is a name for electronic products that have come towards the end of their “useful life.” This can include computers, monitors, televisions, stereos, copiers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD player, cameras, batteries, and many more electronic devices. Used electronic devices can be reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed. It is important to responsibly recycle your electronic devices due to the data security, environmental and social implications. Today people are buying more and more electronics. In 2012, the average U.S. household spent $1.312 on consumer electronic products a year, according to a study by the Consumer Electronic Association (CEA). When getting rid of your e-waste it is important to recycle it responsibly to avoid breach of data and the negative impact of sending it to a landfill. E-waste is a problem. 

As e-waste includes any electronics that have come towards their end of their useful life. Basically, if your company using any electronic devices than electronic waste effects you. It is not just companies that need to recycle, schools and universities, charities and organizations, and municipal governments all need to deal with the effects of e-waste. Today it is nearly impossible to run a business without using electronics, therefore the effects of electronic waste is immense. It is essential to manage and dispose of your companies e-waste responsibly. Technology companies, universities, large municipalities, trucking companies, manufacturing companies, insurance companies and many more business all create tons of e-waste. Overall, e-waste affects all organizations big and small, with electronics being used then e-waste is going to accumulate. The important thing then to figure out is how to deal with your e-waste and the importance of responsibly and safely removing from your organization.

Many electronics store your data in their hard drives and this data is not erased if not done properly and can be accessed later. Information that can be stored on these hard drive includes private and financial information, credit card numbers, account information, client information and much more information. If you throw out your electronic waste or if you do not use a responsible recycler then you are putting your organization at the risk of having this information taken and used. Companies are always looking out to make sure that they are protecting their data ad by using a responsible recycler they can ensure that their data is being protected. Certified electronic recyclers will shred or wipe the hard drives to ensure that your data is destroyed and not at the risk of being taken by criminals.

Electronic devices contain valuable elements and substances that are suitable for reclamation, including lead, silver, copper, and gold. These valuable materials can be reused creating salvage value for your company and lessening the need to refine more of these materials reducing energy consumption. Many organizations sell of their e-waste to recyclers in order to get the salvage value back for these depleted electronics. There are many benefits to recycling your old electronic devices, not just for the environment reasons but for data protection and compensation.

Recycling e-waste enables us to recover valuable metals and materials from electronics, save natural resources, reduce pollution, conserving landfill space and creating jobs. The process of recycling can vary depending on the materials being recycled and the technologies used. Once electronics are picked up and transported to the recycling center then materials in the e-waste stream must be processed and separated. Efficient separation of materials is the foundation of electronic recycling. Next the e-waste is shredded and plastics and metals are separated.

After shredding, sorting and separation stages have been executed, the separated materials are prepared for sale as usable raw materials for the production of new electronics or other products (Tajirul Haque, The Balance).

1. What Valuable Materials Are In Your Electronic Waste?  

There are some valuable precious metals in your electronic devices. Used electronic devices can be reused, recycled, resold, and salvaged. By recycling your e-waste the precious metals it allows for these precious metals to be reused therefore reducing the need to mine and process new materials. Which ultimately has a negative affects the environment. Some of the metals that can be found in electronic devices include:

​2. Social Impact of Electronic Waste 

Developed and developing nation are creating more and more electronic waste, many of these developing nation remain the dumping ground for wealthier nations’ old computers, cell phones and appliance. The United States produces over 3 million tons of e-waste per year and numbers are expected to rise. According to a study done by Odadele Ogunseitan, a social ecology professor at UC Irvine, the India the number of computers thrown away will increase 500 percent between 2007 and 2020. By 2020, the number of computers thrown out in South Africa and China will be up 200 to 400 percent. More and more people are buying electronic devices today and with shorter life cycles this means electronic waste will rapidly increase.

​​​​​3. Health Implications of Electronic Waste:

This e-waste contains toxic materials that threaten both humans and the environment of these developing countries. Informal recycling markets in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and the Philippines handle anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent of the world’s e-waste. The export of e-waste by developed countries to developing countries is often done under unsafe circumstances. The health implications of electronic waste are difficult to isolate due to the informal working conditions, poverty, and poor sanitation. In Guiyu, China, one the the largest electronic waste landfill sites in the world, residents exhibit substantial digestive, neurological, respiratory and bone problems, according to a study done by Anna O.W. Leung. When electronic devices are dumped in these developing countries the impact is detrimental to the environment of the country and the health of the people. The people and organizations that do not recycle their electronic waste responsible are continuing to contribute to the growing health and environmental issues of developing countries.

The process of dismantling and disposing of electronic waste in developing countries has lead to a number of environmental impacts. The toxic materials from the electronic devices and released into bodies of water, groundwater, soil and air, affecting both land and sea animals. If you throw out your computer, they will wind up in landfills, causing toxic metals to seep into the groundwater. When e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals are released into the air damaging the atmosphere. In developing countries e-scrap is often shredded, burned, and dismantled in unsafe sites. Emissions from these recycling practices is the main driver of atmospheric pollution from electronic wastes.

Computers and most electronics contain toxic materials such as lead, zinc, nickel, barium and chromium, specifically with lead, if released into the environment can cause damage to human blood, kidneys, as well as central and peripheral nervous systems. Cathode ray tubes in computer monitors and televisions will pollute the environment if improperly disposed of. Recycling, instead of letting these items fall into a landfill, is the responsible way to dispose of e-waste.  Mayer Metals provides environmentally responsible recycling via an R2 certified facility. Responsible recycling “R2” reduce environmental and human health impacts of improper recycling and ensure safe management of materials by downstream handlers, and require destruction of all data on used electronics. They also reduce energy use and other environmental Impacts associated with mining and processing of virgin materials, conserving our limited natural resources.

Cyber security is a huge issue in today’s society, there are far more cyber threats in existence now than ever before. Cyber crime targets a range from individual citizens to large organizations. Businesses, especially those with fewer than 2,500 employees have become popular targets. According to new research published today by Accenture, on average an organization loses $11.7 million to cyber crimes. ext here...

Hard Drive Shredding

Managers are concerned about where their electronic equipment is going after disposal because they are worried about sensitive data loss, identity theft, consumer scams, data breaches and loss of integrity are just a few of the security problems that all businesses must face. By using an R2 certified electronic recycling company can ensure that your data is protected and disposed of properly. They securely destroy data, hard drives, floppy disks and other media. R2 certified companies also provide you with full documentation of recycling and destruction, whether they shred, wipe, or simply de-manufacture your drives. By throwing out your electronic waste, you are giving anyone the access to take and use the information that was in your electronic devices, which is dangerous.

Cyber security is a very important to running a business today, therefore when disposing your electronic waste businesses should look for an R2 certified e-waste recycling company. Mayer Metals Corporation is a Metro Detroit area R2 Certified electronic waste recycling center. All electronic waste is recycled in R2 Facility, all hard drives will be destroyed and certificates of destruction in compliance with all the Department of Defense (DoD) security standards.

Throwing a cell phone into the trash is actually illegal in many states across the United States. Cell phones contain a variety of precious metals, and plastics. Recycling cell phones not only conserves theses valuable materials, it also prevents air and water pollution and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that occur during manufacturing and while extracting and processing new materials. Only 10 percent of cell phones are recycled in the United States, this has to get better. Most Americans get new cell phones every 12 to 18 months, creating more and more electronic waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that recycling just a million cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 33 cars off the road for a year. The evidence is clear that not properly recycling your electronic devices will contribute to extensive environmental damage. 

Mayer Metals Corporation is based in the Metro Detroit area and provides business to business electronic waste recycling. We provide :

• Data Security Solutions
• Hard Drive Shredding
• Environmentally Responsible Recycling via an R2 Certified Facility
• Certificates of Destruction for your Company’s Record
• Competitive Prices

Mayer Metals Corporation is in partnership with OmniSource Electronic Recycling, will provide you with the most competitive rates and provide you with peace of mind that you are disposing of your organization’s electronic waste safely. All electronic waste is recycled in an R2 Certified facility. All hard drives are destroyed and Certificates of Destruction in compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) security standards are available.

Where do we service?

Mayer Metals Corporation offers e-waste solutions for businesses, hospitals, schools, restaurants, universities, municipalities and charitable organizations. We provide services all over the country including Metro Detroit, Warren, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Flint, Sterling Heights, Dayton, Cleveland, Southfield, Livonia, Shelby Township, Canton  and Chicago.

 Who do we work with?

Mayer Metals works with a variety of different businesses, hospitals, schools, restaurants, universities, municipalities and charitable organizations. Any industry that uses electronics is in need of the electronic recycling. Some of the types of companies that we commonly work with is engineering and tech companies, these companies usually have a ton of electronics and data security is of the utmost importance. We also commonly work with schools and universities, recycling electronics for schools is a good way to make money for their school districts and teach responsible consumption to students of any age. We also have worked with transportation and trucking companies, due to the fast paced nature of these industries they end up going through their electronics quite quickly. Municipalities and government are some of our major customers as well do you the need for data protection. There are a ton of organizations and businesses that have electronic recycling needs and Mayer Metals is here to help.

Mayer Metals only does business-to-business electronic recycling at this time. But don't worry, if you are an individual and need to recycle your electronic waste here is a map of all the e-recycling centers around the country. Click Here to see which center is closest to you.  

For all of your electronic waste needs Mayer Metals is here for you! We are here to fulfill all your needs and offer competitive pricing. For a quote please click below and to fill out a quote form. Please include some detail on the types of e-waste you have and quantities. We will get back to you as soon as possible.