-According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years. Unfortunately, less than 20 percent of PCs retired in the U.S. are recycled most years, instead creating what is being termed “e-waste.”
To help reverse this trend, the U.S. government recently passed legislation that imposes penalties and fines on companies that do not practice environmentally proper IT disposal. According to a survey conducted by HP, the majority of companies-especially small-to-medium businesses (SMBs)-underestimate the security, financial and environmental impact of technology equipment disposal. Key findings include:
• 70 percent of respondents underestimate the cost of disposing of PCs;
• 66 percent of executives with purchasing authority are unaware of the financial implications of ignoring environmental regulations when disposing of IT equipment; and
• The biggest concern regarding disposal of IT equipment is data security and privacy.
So, what is the “politically correct” way to dispose of aging technology equipment? IT leaders like HP are...