Thursday, August 6, 2009

 In recent communications with clients and other New England businesses, Horizon Information Group is warning small and mid-size businesses to take care when selecting a firm to recycle electronic waste.

"With the rapid demand for e-waste recycling, a new industry is emerging at break-neck speed," noted Allen Falcon, Horizon's founder and president. "Unfortunately, many e-waste recycling firms are doing more harm than good."

Too often, businesses turn to the low cost providers for services that appear to be a commodity. For e-waste recycling, "free" is often the lowest cost option. Horizon advises companies to understand the true cost of "free".

According to Falcon, "Many e-waste recyclers are banking on your desire to save money and lack of time for research. These providers often ship materials overseas to emerging countries without environmental regulations. Workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals as they strip precious metals from your e-waste and the toxic remains end up in landfills without safeguards to protect water supplies. The result, your e-waste enriches others while destroying the environment someplace else on Earth."

If an e-waste recycling effort is more than a means to comply with local and federal regulations, if the intent is to help the environment, a few minutes of research can and will make a difference. Companies may or may not need to pay to have e-waste removed, but owners will rest easier knowing that they have done more than move the problem elsewhere.

Allen Falcon first published this topic in the May 2009 issue of Strategic Technology Horizons.

Horizon Information Group provides information technology and service leadership for small and mid-size enterprises. Beyond improving day-to-day operations, Horizon helps clients align information technology and services with business goals and objectives, following through to manage change and ensure successful implementation. Horizon assist clients with strategic planning, pragmatic solutions to business problems, applied best practices, operational oversight, vendor management, project management, systems integration, and technical expertise.