Article repost, and downstream guarantee!

The following article is a repost:

Nine charged in e-scrap raid

The UK Environment Agency has charged nine people with violating the country's ban on exporting electronic waste for disposal. The agency spent the past two years investigating a web of individuals and companies that allegedly shipped broken electronics to Nigeria, Ghana and other African nations, to avoid the costs of recycling in the UK. The offending items included broken computers and display devices, mobile phones, separated circuit boards and e-plastics.

The dragnet is the culmination of a two-year investigation by the UK Environment Agency, which uncovered multiple individuals and companies spanning both Europe and Africa. The individuals were all charged under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006, and could face fines and up to two years in prison each if convicted. A court date has been scheduled for November.

The UK raid is the most recent in a steady stream of e-waste enforcement actions. Other major cases that attracted headlines include the arrest of three executives from e-waste firm Tung Tai in connection with the illegal export of electronics from the U.S. to China in August. Another major UK case, involved the illegal export of electronic waste from the UK to Brazil last year.

http://resource-recycling.com/node/604

 

 

The article above shows some of the repercussions for illegally shipping e-waste overseas.  This, among many other reasons, is why Computer Crusher Recycling Company vigorously investigates its downstream to ensure the computer electronics do not end up in these countries unnecessarily. 

 

It is our downstream guarantee which makes it easy to recycle with Computer Crusher Recycling Company with confidence.  You can be sure your electronics will not end up in a river in China with your company's asset tags emblazoned all over the units. 

Recycling Tip for the week.

     Hello all!  I would like to offer this recycling tip of the week.  Here at Computer Crusher Recycling Company we offer hard drive data destruction for your convenience.  Through this process we physically destroy your data making it nearly impossible to recover anything from your hard drive.  Because we offer this service for your convenience there is no need to take the destruction matters into your own hand. 

     Many of our customers think that by destroying the power supply cords, processor, ram, motherboard and various other internal components they have destroyed their data.  Just because the computer is destroyed does not mean your hard drive is.  Many times when we see this severe damage to the internal components of the PC the HDD is left completely intact and unharmed.  This unnecessary destruction of the internal components kills any potential reuse of some of these parts and makes the teardown process more difficult if the structure of the case is compromised.  So just like anything else unless you know what you are doing leave it to the experts!  It's what we're here for!

     Thanks, and for those who read this feel free to email us about any topic you'd like to know more about!

Donald. D. Harvey
General Manager
web@computercrusher.com
www.computercrusher.com

A New Post Brings About New Recycling Options!

     Hello everyone I am extatic to bring about some of the most exciting news in recent Computer Crusher Recycling Company history!  We have now entered the business of refurbishing ink jet, laser-toner, and wide format ink cartridges.  We will now attempt to isolate and seperate any and all ink jet, laster-toner and wide format ink cartridges from their perspective boxes and printers.  From here they will be isolated and sorted.  Once sorted these items will be sent to their perspective facility for refurbishing.  Once each item is refurbished they will be available for resale. 

     This new process keeps inline with our goals of attempting to refurbish or reuse as many variants of computer electronics as possible.  These remanufactured products will be of the highest quality and can be used in many of the printers our customers use.  Not only will these remanufactured cartridges be usable by our customers, but our customers will be able to save alot of money by using remanufactured cartridges over OEM. 

     Saving the Earth and saving our customers money is what this whole process is about.  We are still in the early phases of this process but please stay posted to our blog and website for future developments in regards to this process.  If you have any surplus of various used ink or toner please feel free to contact us for a removal quote via our website, http://www.computercrusher.com/ or feel free to call us at 940.380.0091.
 

Buy quality products and reduce the need to recycle!

    Our post this morning isn't necessarily in direct regaurd with recycling.  It does have an impact on recycling though.  This post is in regards to the importance of decisions made at the time of purchase of electronics.  It is extremely important to purchase grade A quality products any time you set out to purchase electronics. 
    If quality products are purchased at minute one they will last longer and better serve the consumer, but they will also prevent the constant need to purchase and replace lower quality items.  If a high quality television is purchased and the quality lasts say 15 years is purchased over a lower quality budget television which lasts 3.  This will prevent 4 additional televisions from meeting end of life during that same time frame.  This is 4 less TVs which will need to be recycled in that 15 years.  If that theory is expanded over all electronics to all consumers, we may be able to drastically cut the need for recycling. 
    The only way this can ever happen is if the actual consumer changes their demand practices.  Currently consumers seek to replace their electronics at a rapid rate, and therefore the producers of these electronics have no need to produce the longest lasting products possible.  It is only through a change in demand that the ultimate producers will create products that produce the lasting quality needed to reduce recycling needs. 
    Next time we will discuss options of repair or recycle. 

Donald D. Harvey
General Manager
Computer Crusher Recycling Company
http://www.computercrusher.com/

Some Security Tidbits and Advice for Everyone out There

     Hello everyone, I would like to extend a little bit of information in the direction of our customers regarding the data trail they may not be aware they are leaving out there.  The first tidbit is a link for a video which discusses the perils of large photo copiers and printers. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6412572n&tag=related;photovideo

     This link discusses how many of these machines unknowingly to many consumers and end users contain hard drives which track and create copies of all images, items, and copies produced from the machine.  These machines do this out of convenience, but that convenience may come at a price.  If you utilize a public copy machine to produce duplicates of social security cards, birth certificates, or other private documents, the machine will store these records which could ultimately be extracted at a later point by a potential criminal.  It is for this reason it is important to know the recycling procedures of the company at which you use to make these copies. 

     The next time you find yourself at one of these photo copiers at work, the grocery store, or anywhere for that manner, ask the person in charge who is responsible for the machine how that particular machine will be recycled once it is no longer in use.  If their answer is that the Computer Crusher Recycling Company will handle the device then you can rest assured that the hard drive will be located, pulled, and physically crushed by us.  The physical destruction outlined in a previous blog explains how we destroy hard drives quickly and efficiently. 

    Next blog: What, is a hard drive?

Data Destruction - Hard Drives and ???

     Last time here on the Computer Crusher Recycling Blog we discussed in depth our secure hard drive destruction methods.  Not only did we tout our ability to thoroughly sanitize the data and destroy the hard drive, but we described our eco friendly process in doing so.  We are able to totally destroy the hard drive and thereby make certain your data is secure. 

     Hard drives are not the only storage medium we are capable of destroying.  We have destroyed hundreds of thousands if not millions of optical disks including CDs, DVDs, Blue-Ray Disks, and other odd optical media storage devices.  We also are capable of destroying most types of magnetic storage such as floppies, server back up tapes, surveillance tapes, and much more.  It doesn't stop there though, our on site data destruction for DFW Metroplex businesses and residents expands to include solid state drives and flash memory as well. 

     Long story short, if it stores data and you need it destroyed, we will find a way to ensure your data is safe.  Many of our methods do not utilize electricity when avoidable.  This allows our destruction methods to be as green as possible. 

     If you find yourself in the North Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, Denton, or nearly any major city in Texas, Computer Crusher Recycling Company will find a way to make your on site data destruction needs a reality.  As always feel free to visit us at www.computercrusher.com for more information. 

Donald D. Harvey
General Manager

dharvey@computercrusher.com

Recycling = Good, Better Recycling = Best!

    Hello everyone!  If you are reading this you are obviously interested in the process of electronics recycling, or you have recycled your electronics before.  In this short little blurb today regarding e-waste and e-cycling I will try and convey a few brief concepts to you all as to how to take your recycling experience to the next level. 
    Sure it is a great thing to recycle your old and end of life computer electronics with a responsible e-cycler, but what can you do more than simply drop off just your old pc or monitor?  Well, many recyclers are also devout and accomplished refurbishers, which means that they may be able to ultimately repair or utilize parts of your end of life products.  In order to maximize the Reuse category of the "4 R's" package up all cables, software, and accessories pertaining to the object you are recycling.  This not only allows the recycler to determine what can possibly be salvaged or not, but also the recycler is probably capable of recycling alot more than you may think!
    Be it cables, software, cd cases, keyboards, mice, headphones, speakers, power strips, or microwave ovens, can openers, hair dryers, or more, chances are your local electronics recycler is quite capable of recycling it!  If you are very concnerened that they may not take the item you intend to bring or are concerned there may be fees involved, such as with TV recycling etc. call ahead to ask what is acceptable and what is not.  The worst case is they will tell you they cannot responsibly recycle that item, and they may even have a referral for someone who can! 

    So to recap in a couple of rules:
1. Bring ALL peripherals and content associated with the items you are recycling. 
2. If possible keep it as organized as possible. 
3. If you're worried the recycler may not accept your item, call ahead!
4. Ask, ask, ask!  Most recyclers are more than willing to help you find a place to responsibly recycle what they cannot. 

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me (Rule 4 :D) at:

http://www.computercrusher.com/

web@computercrusher.com

940-380-0091

Donald D. Harvey

General Manager