Business PickupThe overriding purpose of an IT disposition policy is to arm your business with a workable plan for getting rid of computer hardware, network equipment, and other data-bearing devices when they’re no longer required. To maximize the plan’s performance, it should include disposing of unwanted assets as sustainably, securely, and cost-effectively as possible.
What a Well-Rounded Disposition Policy Looks Like
As corporate disposal obligations for e-waste expand, it’s increasingly important for your organization to have an up-to-date IT disposition policy in place.
According to Faris Rassam, sales manager for Quantum Lifecycle Partners, getting the most from a well-rounded policy means regularly reviewing its impact in terms of:
- Environmental sustainability. Your policy should make certain unwanted IT equipment is properly disposed of, recycled, or reused in the best-case scenario.
- Data security. Your policy should ensure any data on your devices is protected and properly handled at end of life
- Value recovery and maximization. Your policy should maximize value recovery from your IT assets for reinvestment in new equipment.
A well-crafted IT disposition policy is essential for keeping costs in check even as it maximizes your company’s environmental performance and data security.
Improve Environmental Performance
When it comes to environmentally responsible IT disposition practices, reducing your equipment turnover where possible is the best first step. Following that, it’s far better to reuse a computer than it is to recycle one.
Disposition policies that emphasize computer reuse through resale or component harvesting, for example, can boost your environmental performance by:
- Extending the life cycle of unwanted equipment
- Diverting more materials from our recycling stream
- Reducing the need to create new products and materials from natural resources
While reuse is more environmentally friendly than recycling, you can still feel good about working with a certified electronics recycler should your disposition policy call for the latter.
If you were to plug the disposal of 1000 laptops into an e-waste calculator, for example, you’d discover that responsible recycling leads to such measurable benefits as:
- 14 pounds of toxins (like lead, mercury, and arsenic) diverted from landfills
- 36,353 pounds of greenhouse gases avoided, and
- Significantly fewer virgin metals (like aluminum, copper, and zinc) mined
Make sure your policy includes working with a recycler who engages in transparent waste stream reporting, follows sustainability regulations and recommendations, and guarantees your materials and data are being handled safely and securely.
Remove Risk From IT Disposition
Your IT disposition policy doesn’t have to sacrifice data security for sustainability. First, make sure your policy includes a disposition schedule that meets your company’s operational, legal, and tax obligations for data storage and disposal.
Then, whether your plan calls for hard drive shredding – or today’s equally secure data wiping procedures – it’s a simple matter to maximize your data security by partnering with a disposal expert like Quantum to permanently destroy your organization’s confidential data records when they’re no longer needed.
Quantum’s data handling processes let you eliminate risk with measures like secure asset tracking throughout the disposal process and documented, auditable proof of data destruction.
Recover Value For Your Organization
Prioritizing the environment through reuse can also lead to an improved bottom line for your business thanks to the value that can be recaptured by reselling IT equipment.
A working hard drive, for example, has more value than one that’s been shredded. Because you no longer have to shred a functional hard drive to ensure the data it contains has been properly destroyed, choosing data erasure over hard drive destruction gives you the option of reusing your drives.
Not only can data drives of all types be securely wiped while left intact inside IT equipment, Quantum specializes in capturing and sharing the resale value with their clients.
Partner Up For Seamless Performance
Creating a high-performance IT disposition policy relies on effective asset management. Partnering with a reputable, full-service provider as part of your plan ensures the retirement of your computer hardware and other assets aligns seamlessly with your organization’s sustainability, security, and value recovery needs.