As you may have read in this space before, the comedy Office Space has a special place in my heart, especially because of one hilarious scene. It's the one in which Peter Gibbons and two buddies take a longtime lemon of a printer out to a field and smash it to bits with a baseball bat.
For anyone who has ever dealt with office printers, it's a satisfying fantasy. But don't let it tempt you. For both environmental and business reasons, you should instead formulate a smart, compliant plan for getting rid of the obsolete electronics piled up in your storeroom. And yes, you have to include the ones you hate.
Learn the Risks of Careless Disposal
If you simply pulverize your old computers, hard drives, backup tapes and what-have-you and toss the remains in a dumpster, you're essentially making a large deposit to a festering landfill near you. What's more, you could be putting yourself and your business in legal jeopardy. A litany of local, state and federal laws govern proper e-waste disposal. Violating these regulations could result in stiff fines.
If flouting environmental laws isn't worrisome enough for you, consider these other risks that come with thoughtless electronics disposal:
Compromised data security. That 10-year-old printer could contain sensitive data-anything from social security numbers to medical details. And it could cost you dearly. Healthcare and financial services companies, for example, face huge fines for not securing specific types of data according to regulations.
Harm to your reputation and bottom line. Imagine what would happen if customer information from those old hard drives you tossed in the trash ends up in the hands of thieves. Or what if your product specs land in a competitor's hands?
Team With a Partner for Secure, Green Disposal
Admittedly, going it alone to get rid of old equipment in a safe, Earth-friendly way is tricky. That's why working with a trusted partner can be such a benefit. Look for one with:
E-Stewards certification. Firms meeting this organization's stringent standards won't be burning hazardous waste, throwing it in a landfill or shipping it to a developing country.
A deep knowledge of the ever-changing laws regarding electronics disposal-and a track record of helping customers adhere to them.
Documentation that certifies when and how it destroys your old equipment and data.
Knowledge of secure disposal's many nuances. For example, the obliterated printer in Office Space likely had some stored data within its memory. How can you destroy that hardware in a way that ensures the data dies with it?
An old laptop, copier or printer can drive us to desperate acts, as Office Space so vividly depicted. But getting rid of old hardware properly is no laughing matter. If you and a couple of friends find yourselves wanting to relieve stress with a baseball bat, go to a batting cage and leave that old dot-matrix printer alone.
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As you may have read in this space before, the comedy Office Space has a special place in my heart, especially because of one hilarious scene. It's the one in which Peter Gibbons and two buddies take a longtime lemon of a printer out to a field and smash it to bits with a baseball bat.
