How to Manage Electronic Equipment in the Workplace

Disposing of electronics waste can be difficult. Frequently, the toxic materials found in electronic components make even ordinary electronic equipment unsafe for simple disposal. Some require management as hazardous waste at approved facilities. In fact, cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) found in TVs and computer monitors are banned from disposal in mixed municipal solid waste in Minnesota in order to protect our communities from dangerous lead.

In the face of regulatory concerns and rising disposal costs, the solution is a sound waste management program. The benefits to your company can be measured in time and money. Following waste management principles can help you avoid penalties for polluting, save time otherwise spent on managing hazardous waste, and reduce disposal costs--all through the easily-applied practices of waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

---

Consider an Alternative

Waste Reduction

Begin your program with a new approach to purchases. Buy with reducing or eliminating disposal costs in mind:

• Consider equipment leasing, which eliminates disposal concerns.
• Purchase equipment that is designed for easy repair, upgrades or recycling; extending the life of equipment reduces waste.
• Consider purchasing refurbished equipment and/or equipment containing recycled materials.
• Request that the manufacturer or dealer take back used electronic equipment, or pursue a take-back agreement at the time of purchase.

---

Recycling

Recycling allows your business to avoid costly and time-consuming hazardous waste compliance requirements for electronics waste. Recycling electronics has environmental and economic benefits, such as keeping hazardous materials out of landfills and saving valuable components and materials. Individual businesses can realize several direct advantages:

• No hazardous waste generator license is required for these wastes.
• No license fees or reporting is required for these wastes, if no other hazardous waste is generated by your business.
• You can transport your own waste, in accordance with MnDOT's Hazardous Materials transportation requirements, to the processing facility.
• You can record waste shipments on a waste-tracking invoice rather than a hazardous waste manifest.

As with all waste, businesses are responsible for their waste electronics forever. Carefully track and document how yours is managed.

---

Manufacturer Take-Back Programs

Several leading manufacturers reclaim electronics equipment at the end of its useful life. Increasingly popular as a form of product stewardship, these "take-back" programs remove disposal burdens from businesses while reducing overall waste costs for municipalities. Consult the web sites of the following manufacturers for further information:

• Apple
• Dell
• Gateway
• Hewlett Packard
• IBM
• Lexmark
• MPC
• Sony

---

Reuse and Donations

As a viable alternative to disposal, reuse carries benefits for your business as well as the recipient of the equipment.

Donate usable equipment in good condition to a charity, school, non-profit or other organization, or contact the Minnesota Materials Exchange Program at (612) 624-1300. See Donation Opportunities or contact the Minnesota Computers for Schools Program at (651) 779-2816 for more information. Call first, to verify acceptance of your equipment.

Other options include reconditioning, refurbishing and resale. These apply mainly to equipment with resale value, such as computers. If reselling, inquire about how unusable components are to be managed. See Computers, Electronics and Office Equipment.

---

Resources

For more information on managing electronics waste responsibly, download the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fact sheet Managing Electronic Equipment.

For information on managing electronics under the full requirements of the Hazardous Waste Rules, see Hazardous Waste Management.

---

Disposal Information

Recycling is often less expensive than managing under full hazardous waste requirements.  Minnesota is fortunate to have a number of local electronic recyclers. Recyclers disassemble equipment, salvage parts and send unused materials to final processors.

When finding a recycler for waste electronics, first determine:

• What fees are charged?
• Is the recycling done domestically or abroad?
• How are CRTs and circuit boards processed?
• Can the recycler provide certification that explains the disposition of the equipment and its parts - or, alternatively, can it provide references?

 

For a list of disposal and drop-off sites see the Recycling & Disposal Sites tab or our Computers, Electronics & Office Equipment page.