What you need to know about electronics recycling...

Do you know about the Basel Convention?

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation, and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate. Read more...

Illegal shipments of electronic waste are in violation of the Basel Convention. We don't believe in negative campaigns against our competitors who have been accused of shipping overseas illegally. But we do feel it is important for our clients to know the risks associated with improper disposal: legally, morally and environmentally.

Interesting Facts

  • The Average Laptop Could Contain Data Worth Almost $1 Million according to a report by security-software company Symantec, and some could store as much as $8.8 million. It is critical that businesses start looking beyond just the price of the hardware and recognize that they also need to invest in protecting the data stored on these machines, Symantec concluded.
  • The Gramm-Leach-Billey Act Imposes Up To $100,000 Per Violation for financial institutions that fail to protect customer information.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Holds Equipment Owners Fully Accountable in terms of fines and litigation, if their e-waste leaks toxins or more into the environment.
  • You Can Go To Jail For Improper PC Disposal. Few executives are aware of fines and jail time that they can get for improperly disposing of old hardware according to a recent survey by Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) Financial Services.

Remarketing

Advances in technology have created a surplus of electronic equipment with varying degrees of desirability. Global demand for functioning electronic equipment has been strong, but these markets demand newer technology. Key factors affecting the resale value of a system in today's marketplace are age, condition, brand and capabilities. Eforce utilizes our global trading network to access buyers and identify the best remarketing opportunities for your equipment and we maintain a retail showroom of refurbished PC's which enables our company to consistently obtain the highest market value for resale.

Data removal prior to resale

The most critical step in the remarketing process is the removal of data and sanitization of the unit. Prior to remarketing, systems are tested and sanitized in our lab. Eforce assures that each unit that is designated for resale is properly licensed, thus reducing any liability associated with transfer of ownership. Eforce secure erasure processes are in strict accordance with U.S. Dept. of Defense 5220.22-M standards. If security requirements require a greater level of defense, drives can be removed and destroyed according to NSA standards, providing the highest level of data protection.

Demanufacturing

Our 100,000 square foot facility is located in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia and we are one of only a handful of DEP approved demanufacturing facilities.

Demanufacturing provides the highest level of reclamation of valuable metals and avoidance of landfilling. Although shredding has become more popular in the electronic recycling industry, the risk for contamination of materials is much higher and figures estimate that as much as 30% of the end product cannot be reclaimed. Shredding is popular due to the sheer volume of material that can be handled and generally produces "fluff", which is composed of dirt, glass, rubber and plastics, and is landfilled. Finally, shredding also produces airborne debris that can be harmful to employee's health.

Conversely, demanufacturing processes assure materials are separated to produce the highest environmental and economical value and concentrates exclusively on the recovery of raw materials for use in domestic manufacturing. This process greatly helps in the reduction of mining of raw materials.

eForce Compliance maintains zero commingling of materials and zero contamination. Our processes also produce a huge economic value: the creation of sustainable and local jobs.

eForce Compliance employs the service of certified local material processing companies, thus further adding to job creation in the local metro-Philadelphia economy.