Corporate electronics recycling events can help build a sense of community, sustainability, and cultural focus with your employees if done the appropriate way. On the other hand, they can be a drain on resources and dollars if poorly executed. Having participated in a few from both sides of the equation, successful events boil down to the following:
- Preparation
- Recycler Partnership
- Internal Awareness & Communication
- Understanding the $$
Employees Drop off Electronics in the Parking Lot
To start off with, give yourself enough time to plan the event and get the necessary “buy-in” from the corporate stakeholders who will approve the program. Determine possible dates (including rain dates if collection is to be outside), location, traffic flow, departments to be advised, resources needed, etc and put together a checklist. If the dates can correlate with national awareness days like Earth Day or America Recycles Day, all the better.
Next, engage an electronics recycling partner that has the best practices, third-party audited certifications (R2, RIOS, ISO 14001, NAID, etc), insurance coverage, and skill sets that meet your corporate standards. Thorough collaboration with your recycling partner in advance will help insure that company and employee expectations are met. You should be able to communicate to your employees 100% confidence that your selected vendor will handle the material collected in an environmentally responsible way and guarantee the security of data bearing assets while onsite and the destruction of these assets back at their facility.
The next step is to internally market the event to your employee base several times prior to the established date. If feasible, ask your vendor to come in for a “lunch and learn” presentation to department heads about the event, how it will be run, and the benefits to the community, environment and the individuals. Finally, try to get a gauge on the amount of electronic equipment you might expect and share this with your vendor. Nothing is worse than expecting 2 trailer loads of material and actually getting 4 pallets or conversely underestimating the turnout and being ill prepared to handle the volume.
Make sure you also understand the dollars and cents of the material to be recycled. The reality is that there is a cost for responsible recycling and compliance with environmental laws. Work with your vendor to determine the cost centers involved (recycling, labor, materials, transportation) and determine who bears this expense. Corporations that subsidize the expense of recycling for their employees obtain the greatest internal and external PR benefit and establish a tone of commitment to sustainable best practices and a focus toward the community at large. Have your vendor prepare an environmental impact report that indicates the positive effects of your event and share it with your personnel and local media outlets. It is worth the effort.
LifeSpan has helped many companies put on successful electronic recycling events. Let us know if we can help you plan one at your location.
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