Does Your Return to Work Plan Include E-Waste Recycling?
Are you and your staff returning to the office after nearly a year of working from home due to the pandemic?
Is your entire team returning, or only a few? Are you working on a hybrid schedule?
As a business owner, these are big decisions. One decision that might be overlooked is whether or not you have monitors, laptops, printers, and ink cartridges that aren’t going to be used anymore, and if you need to get rid of them.
Do you throw them away, or recycle?
If you haven’t thought about this potential issue as part of your return-to-work plan, that’s okay! We can help make the process simple, and even help you develop an office-wide recycling plan for when your staff returns.
How to Implement an Office-Wide Recycling Program
Recycling in general is a great way to bring your office together for a cause. You might be doing this already – having a recycling area for scrap paper, or bottles and cans in the office kitchen. Why not start doing this with ink cartridges too?
According to 1-800-RECYCLING.com, only around 30% of cartridges are recycled, which leaves a great opportunity for organizations and businesses like yours to participate in recycling programs.
Encourage your staff to recycle cartridges after they’re no longer usable instead of throwing them away!
The Benefits of Recycling E-Waste
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, “e-waste is the most rapidly growing segment of the municipal solid waste stream.” Recycling your e-waste benefits the environment in several ways:
- Conserve natural resources. Electronics contain many materials that can be reused, refurbished, and recycled, such as those found in toner cartridges. The manufacturing process consumes energy to produce new products, which, depending on the process, may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Refurbished toner cartridges may use significantly less raw materials than brand new cartridges. An example would be MSE remanufactured toner cartridges which use “79% less materials” than their “OEM equivalent.”
- Proper disposal of toxic chemicals. E-waste may contain high concentrations of chemicals and metals, including mercury, lead, and cadmium. Proper recycling and disposal keep these toxins out of our soil and water and protects the food we eat and the water we drink.
- Protect and support your community. Reduce the amount of e-waste that’s incinerated and placed in landfills. Both of these processes may have a negative impact on our air, land, and water quality. We have limited space for landfills – which are filling up with materials that can be refurbished and reused. Refurbished materials support your community by providing local jobs to recycle and repurpose electronics; they can then be sold at a reduced price (benefiting both the local company and its customers) or donated to local non-profits. Recycling can be a win/win for your community!
Recycling e-waste is one of the simplest ways to reduce your environmental footprint. Are you ready to take that step? The time is now!
MCS collects empty toner cartridges, obsolete computers, monitors, printers, and other office equipment from our current customers FREE of charge! Not our customer? We’re happy to pick up your e-waste for $100.
Send us an email or call us today to find out how to become a customer!
