Category

Computer Recycling

Mar 19
0

The Importance of Data Security and Protection for your Business

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling, Data Destruction | No Comments

Your business’ data is one of its most valuable assets. It is what connects you to your client base and often they have placed a high degree in trust in you to allow you to keep their data on your files. This means you have to shadowsocks respect it, you have to keep it secure and even if it’s time for an upgrade of your equipment or office space you have to securely and completely ensure every piece of hardware no longer in use is completely clear of all data.

A breach of data security is one sure-fire way to lose a considerable chunk of your customer base. Whether you’re updating all your computer equipment or simply moving from a traditional service to cloud-based storage, the old equipment needs to be recycle and the data, erased completely.

The Risk of Security Breach

Even the smallest piece of data could be enough to affect your customers or employees. Something as seemingly innocuous as an Outlook address book could be used in a malicious way in the wrong hands and therefore should be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

You should be regularly running wipes on all employee computers to ensure data that is used regularly but doesn’t need to be stored on the machine is removed immediately. This will help the machines work more effectively but also further ensures you’re treating client data with the confidentiality it deserves.

Asking employees and even utilising your IT staff to remove data from the computers is just the start however as approved software is the best option. At Buy It Back we use Blancco. Blancco holds a 100% date erasure certification procedure which entirely wipes hard drives to CESG standards – ensuring not even a single megabyte of data remains on the hard drive.

Professional Data Security and Erasure

Utilising a professional company who regularly carry out data erasure gives you the peace of mind you need for your business and your customers. Our professionals perform full hard drive wiping as well as recycling and reselling the hardware. All hardware we buy from you will be checked and in most cases resold, ensuring you get some cash back to put towards new equipment or use for your business in any way you see fit.

Data erasure comes as standard but if you’re looking for a different service there is also the option of hard drive shredding, if your company policy dictates this is necessary. All our hard drive shredding services come with certification as a batch or serial numbers for individual items.

Taking your business to the next level and keeping your equipment up to date is essential but ensure your disposal process is secure enough to protect your customers’ data and security rights.

Mar 05
0

Moving Offices? Use an IT Recycling Specialist for the Best Return

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

Moving into a new office space usually corresponds with an upgrade of hardware, systems and servers. Transferring your old equipment is usually a thankless task and you soon find it’s redundant anyway.

Moving office and upgrading at the same time makes good business sense but any canny business person will also recognise to keep costs down. Utilising a specialist IT hardware recycling company ensures you get the best return on your old equipment and you comply with your corporate legal obligations.

Trade In before Trading Up

There is always the option of trading in your equipment with its manufacturer or opting for a dealership. Both these options are commonly used but often leave you in a worse financial position than when you started! The key problems with trade ins include:

  • Being tied to one manufacturer – if you opt for a manufacturer trade in then you’re entirely limited to their branded products which may not be ideal for your new premises’ needs
  • Less for your cash – trade ins typically result in less back for your goods than choosing to sell your items via a dedicated IT buy back scheme
  • Less choice in equipment – as well as being tied into a manufacturer as above you also have a limit when it comes to the quality of equipment available to you. You may find wanting to trade up will also result in higher premiums than you were hoping for
  • Not fit for purpose – a trade in is only a good idea if you’re moving to the same types of equipment. For example, you may be hoping to trade in your oversized on-site server because you’re moving to Cloud Computing and this simply isn’t a possible trade in!

Benefits of IT and Electronic Recycling Specialists

Choosing to have your old IT hardware and equipment handled by a professional IT and electronic recycling specialist will guarantee better results. The methods used by specialist companies like ourselves guarantee the best possible return as we work to resell equipment before any other methods – getting you a higher financial reward.

In addition to this there is no swap involved – if you want to recycle your server then this can be handled and data of course will be securely erased before the data centre is resold, generating a return income for yourself to put towards your new equipment.

Ensuring your old equipment finds a new home, whether broken down for parts, or reused in its current state is a legal obligation and utilising a third party IT recycling specialist guarantees you meet these requirements too.

Mar 01
0

What Happens to a Computer when it’s recycled?

By | Computer Recycling | No Comments

Once your computer hardware and IT equipment becomes redundant you have a corporate social responsibility to ensure they’re disposed of correctly. This can be done in many ways but it all counts as a recycling process and ensures your computer doesn’t end up on a landfill, in contravention of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) 2003 Directive.trailer movie Polina

What’s in a PC?

The components of a standard PC make them quite complex to recycle in the traditional way. It includes up to 23% plastics, 32% ferrous metals and 12% electronic boards. It also includes high quantities of lead, glass and non-ferrous metals making traditional recycling different. Therefore specialised companies try different methods before regular recycling.

Resell and Recycle IT Equipment

At Buy I.T. Back the procedure is to try and salvage as much workable equipment as possible. The service is designed to ensure businesses maximise their return by reselling equipment at the best possible prices where possible and reselling and recycling through sale is always the first option.

When it’s clear an item can’t be resold then it’s time to find a recycling specialist, who meets the WEEE Directive regulations. Recycling companies will dismantle the computer and break it down into parts which may be able to be sold or may need to be recycled completely and reused for other purposes – it’s entirely dependent on the equipment involved and its current state.

Recycling Computer Equipment is the Law

As a business owner you are responsible for the safe and legal disposal of your used computer equipment. It’s no longer acceptable to just throw it out and hope for the best. Regulations state it must be recycled and how you choose to do this is up to you but of course the best method is to get the most back from your used equipment.

Reselling IT equipment gives you the chance to make a little back on your equipment and invest this back into the company, perhaps offsetting the costs of the new equipment or to be used in another way for the benefit of your company.

Recycling always sounds like something which sees the item in question ripped to pieces and rebuilt into something else. This isn’t always the case. If you choose to handover your old equipment to a charity for example this is also recycling and if you get a cash payment for your items due to resale it’s still the same recycling process.

It’s your responsibility to ensure your used computer equipment is recycled responsibly and utilising a buy back scheme is an effective way to do so.

Feb 05
0

The Proper Way to Recycle your Computer

By | Computer Recycling | No Comments

Were you one of the lucky few who got a new PC or laptop for Christmas? Electronic gadgets are always top of the Christmas list and thought the festive season long gone there’s a high chance your old machine is still hanging around cluttering the place up. The last thing you want is to keep it there forever, you’ve already decided you don’t need it anymore so instead, recycle it and get some cash in the process.

Here are some tips to ensure you recycle your PC in an effective and eco-friendly way.

Recycle or Donate?

If the machine is still in decent working order you may decide it’s worth passing onto a friend or family member – perhaps an older relative who wants to get to grips with computers. If this doesn’t work for you or it’s broken beyond your means to fix then responsible recycling is the answer. Utilising a specialist IT and recycling company will ensure your machine is dealt with responsibly.

Don’t Forget those Files

For computers that are still working it’s worth remembering to back up. Copy all your valuable files onto Cloud storage, discs or USB pen drives. If the computer cannot be booted then consider removing the hard drive and seeing if a specialist can help you extract the files. Alternatively if there’s nothing you need then you can simply hand it over to your chosen recycling specialist.

Wipe your Drive

Once you’ve extracted the files you need it’s worth trying to wipe your drive as much as you possibly can. From a security perspective it’s essential you remove all your files – although it’s unlikely someone could try and boot up your computer at a later date and access all your data. Although you can do this yourself, reputable recycling companies like Buy IT Back will carry out full data erasure for your peace of mind and security.

Utilising a reputable recycling company will ensure your PC is treated in the way it deserves. Whether it’s refurbished for sale or broken down into recyclable parts you can be sure it has been recycled in the proper way and of course you’ll be recompensed for your donation.
Jan 21
0

Effective Computer Disposal for UK Businesses

By | Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

The rate at which technology advances mean UK businesses require new equipment at an increasingly alarming rate. Computers become obsolete quicker than ever before and this results in a huge and terrifying mountain of computer waste. Statistics suggest that there are approximately 20 million ‘obsolete’ PCs discarded every year just in the USA and the figures in the UK won’t be far behind.

As a business it’s important you represent a corporate image which is professional and positive. Ethically disposing of used and obsolete equipment is a must for your business image and the future of the planet. Recycling computers is entirely possible as many elements of their makeup can be reused.

Computer Recycling in Depth

Computer recycling can mean breaking down the parts of a computer for reuse or it can be giving a whole unit a new home. It may be broken into usable second-hand parts and those which can be refurbished to like-new condition. There are a range of businesses 外汇交易平台 who specialise in WEEE disposal, which includes computers. As a business you can decide whether to use a company who pays you in cash or who gives you the opportunity to do something publicly philanthropic and donate the proceeds a charity of your choosing.

Why recycle?

If it isn’t clear why recycling computers should be important to UK businesses here are a few more points to consider. Recycling computers reduces landfill space and therefore limits the toxic emissions being released into the earth. It can also give people the opportunity to buy computers affordably where they may not have been able to and can support charities as they look for funds and support. Many recycled computers end up being used in literacy and IT programmes around the world.

Disposing of computer as a UK Business

As mentioned there are specialised WEEE disposal companies, such as Discovery Computer Services Ltd, who focus solely on the ethical disposal of computer hardware. Buy I.T. Back offer a comprehensive and effective scheme for a wide range of computer equipment. Small businesses can benefit and they can also be assured that all information and .

Disposing of computer equipment as a business doesn’t need to be a headache and you don’t just need to accept it’s a lost cause. Choosing to work with a reputable means you’ll earn a fee as well as getting rid of your unwanted equipment.

May 30
0

Computer Recycling for Business

By | Computer Recycling, News | No Comments

All business, schools and colleges make use of computer and IT equipment. Naturally, as technology becomes more advanced, we are faced with redundant hardware as these establishments favour newer, even slicker equipment.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) was introduced into UK law with the aim of decreasing the vast amount of electronic goods being produced, whilst reducing, reusing and recovering unwanted electronic equipment. Here’s where you come in; as a user of electronic equipment, you have a responsibility to ensure its safe, responsible disposal.

You may be surprised to know that 99% of most computers can be recycled! Tonnes of computer equipment such as scanners, laptops and computers are sent straight to landfill each year. Some internal components of a computer such as lead, lithium and mercury are poisonous to plants, animals and humans. When dumped in landfill, these chemicals can seep into the ground, having a detrimental effect on water, animals, humans and crops.

With that in mind, getting shut of your old unwanted electronic goods in an efficient, responsible way needn’t be a hassle, and there are a plethora of reasons why it is good for your business.

Earn money by recycling.

Companies such as Discovery Computer Services Ltd (www.buy-it-back.com) offer a full Buy Back service for all unwanted computer hardware. They’ll collect all your unwanted goods and either refurbish them or responsibly recycle the components. You could earn a pretty penny for it too.

Donate to a worthy cause.

Whether you’re a school, business or another kind of establishment you can donate any unwanted, but functional electronics to a charity. You can be sure their productivity will increase and they’ll do more with it than it would crushed up in a landfill.

Shout about being WEEE compliant.

It might be an obligation, but you’re helping to reduce the impact that electrical appliances have on the environment. Why wouldn’t you want to tell your business partners and customers?

The benefits of being WEEE complaint within your business are endless. If you’d like more information of how you can become WEEE compliant or to see if you have obligations, The Environment Agency has produced a whole host of literature for your disposal.

Dec 16
0

5 Tips For Choosing a Computer Recycling Company

By | Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling, News | No Comments

So it’s time to upgrade your old computers and other IT equipment – you want the latest in all-singing, all-dancing technology – well who doesn’t  However, next arrives the problem of deciding what to do with your old IT equipment. There are a number of Computer Recycling Companies that provide a service to recycle your unwanted electronic hardware, however how do you decide which the right company to choose is? Have a look at our list below to give you some points to bear in mind when choosing a computer recycling company.

Is the company WEEE compliant?

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) was introduced into UK law in January 2007. It aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced and to encourage everyone to reuse, recycle and recover it. The WEEE Directive also aims to improve the environmental performance of businesses that manufacture, supply, use, recycle and recover electrical and electronic equipment. So what does this mean for your business? Basically, all unwanted electrical equipment is now classed as hazardous waste and so has to be disposed of in a WEEE compliant manner, not doing so can result in hefty penalties being awarded to non-compliant companies. Therefore it is important to check that your computer recycling company is fully WEEE compliant.

Does the Computer Recycling Company strive to ensure that as little equipment is finally disposed of?

To ensure that your unwanted electrical equipment does more than just end up on a landfill site, check that your computer recycling company is committed to either refurbishing and then re-selling old IT hardware, or stripping down the equipment and recycling its individual parts. Companies such as Buy IT Back are committed to attaining these standards for a number of reasons. Firstly they have an intrinsic ecological outlook and are committed to that upkeep. For example old electrical equipment when dumped in landfill often poses a risk of leaking hazardous chemicals into the groundwater and these becoming a possible harmful pollutant. Also by recycling electrical components, this can mean that less of these raw materials have to be freshly mined, thus often protecting ecologically sensitive areas. And finally, by refurbishing and re-selling unwanted computers it can reduce the numbers of new electrical items that have to be manufactured thus reducing energy consumption and helping to drive the prices of new items down.

Secure Data Destruction

Can the computer recycling company that you are entrusting your business’ old IT equipment (including printers, servers, laptops, PC’s, desktops and networking/telecoms equipment) guarantee that your company data will be securely and completely destroyed? With the increasing concern over data security, identify theft and other fraud, is this an area that you can afford to ignore? However, companies such as Buy IT Back, can guarantee that all your remaining data (including all company references and security markings) will be completely destroyed by using the government certified Blannco software.

Does the Computer Recycling Company offer a Buy Back service?

Many computer recycling companies will charge you for removing your unwanted electrical equipment, however some companies such as Buy IT Back can offer a complete Buy Back service for your old IT equipment. As they can make a small profit from re-selling refurbished items, some of this can be passed directly onto your business. In general, Buy IT Back will come to your business, remove all of your unwanted IT hardware, then ensure that it is either recycled or re-sold, and pay you for doing so!

Established Business

Finally it is often worth considering choosing an established computer recycling company, as these are often more likely to be able to ensure that all of the above points are met. Discovery Computer Services Ltd, the owners of Buy IT Back, have now been in business for 20 years and as such can offer a wealth of practical knowledge and expertise to ensure that you unwanted IT equipment has all data securely destroyed, is then either recycled or refurbished, and can offer you the most generous price as part of its Buy Back Service.

Nov 20
0

WEEE Recycling Explained

By | Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

WEEE Recycling Service

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) was introduced into UK law in January 2007. It aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced and to encourage everyone to reuse, recycle and recover it. The WEEE Directive also aims to improve the environmental performance of businesses that manufacture, supply, use, recycle and recover electrical and electronic equipment.

If you are an importer, re-brander or manufacturer of new electrical or electronic equipment, then it’s likely that you’ll need to comply with the UK’s WEEE Regulations, which in part implement the WEEE Directive. If you do need to comply, then you must register on a producer compliance scheme.

You may also have obligations under the WEEE Regulations if you are a business with electrical or electronic equipment to dispose of, or if you sell electrical or electronic equipment.

As a business how do the WEEE Regulations affect me?

If your business owns any Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) then you need to ensure that once it is no longer required or wanted and thus becomes waste it is correctly treated and recycled. As with all computer disposal there is inevitably a cost associated with this and whether the business or the producer of the (EEE) pays for this depends on the circumstances.
Can I avoid this cost?If it is deemed that your business is liable for the cost of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation approved disposal of your IT equipment, then there are a number of schemes that can help with offsetting the cost associated with this. Companies such as Direct Computer Services Ltd (the owners of www.buy-it-back.com) offer a complete Buy Back service for all of your unwanted computer hardware, where they will collect your old equipment and then either refurbish and sell on, or correctly recycle the components. This can result in a profit for the computer disposal company and so they can offer a payment to your business associated with this. Unsurprisingly this is fast becoming a popular solution to many business’ WEEE compliance commitments.

Are there any exemptions to WEEE compliance?

Yes, many of the consumables that are associated with Electronic and Electrical Equipment are only considered to become waste (WEEE) if they are part of another product that is WEEE. For example, when a printer is discarded it becomes WEEE. If an ink cartridge is inside the printer at the time, then the ink cartridge also becomes part of that WEEE at the time of disposal. The ink cartridge would not be WEEE if discarded on its own.

Contact us now for further information explaining our commitment to WEEE Recycling and to get a free quote for the complete Buy Back of your electronic waste and unwanted IT equipment. 

Jun 08
0

Why computer recycling is particularly important in London

By | Computer Recycling | No Comments

Computer disposal is an ever growing concern for all businesses when they come to replacing their computer hardware.  In our article ‘Top Reasons to Recycle your Computer and Hardware Products’ we looked at all the reasons why computer recycling should be taken seriously by businesses and schools and we noted the benefits received from doing so. These included contributing to a better environment by reducing the number of items sent to landfill, reducing the amount of natural resources that are used in manufacturing future computer products by reusing materials and the ability to enhance your corporate social responsibility profile.

Why computer recycling is particularly important in LondonWe are based in Essex making us well placed to serve all parts of London.  We believe that computer recycling is particularly important within London due to the large number of businesses that are present in the area and the limited amount of space that is available for waste.  To keep pollution levels to a minimum in the city all companies should be aware of how their actions impact the environment around them and so a satisfactory IT disposal plan should be factored into a company’s strategy.

Just imagine the environmental effects of every business and school that is based in London sending their redundant computer hardware products to landfills throughout the city whenever they replace outdated technology – the impact on the environment would be tremendous!  Computers can pose health threats when dumped in landfills as well as when they are destroyed by burning as both enable poisonous toxins to be released either via the ground (soil) leading into the water or the air.

Another reason why computer recycling is evidently seen as a bigger issue in London is that many of the large companies throughout the UK have their head offices or some of their major offices based in London and it is these locations that usually require the most up to date technology.  As head offices or other offices based in London often set a footprint for the rest of the company it is important that computer recycling is successfully carried out by offices operating in the city.  The constant updates in technology and ever decreasing prices as technology becomes outdated quickly means that businesses often feel the need to upgrade their equipment to remain at the top of the game.

However, the constant upgrades and buying of new technology equates to the constant need to dispose of old equipment.  Computer recycling is at its most efficient when carried out by specialists.  It is important that your recycling needs are fully understood so that a solution is found which best suits your needs. Obviously data security has got to be a key priority when recycling old hardware products so that if computers are reused by other parties all old data is completely erased to keep in line with privacy and confidentiality issues.  We hope this article has encouraged you to look further into computer recycling in London and has helped you to appreciate the benefits it can bring both to your business and the environment.

For more information on Computer Recycling in London please click here.

May 18
0

Top Reasons to Recycle your Computer and Hardware Products

By | Computer Recycling, Uncategorized | No Comments

Top Reasons to Recycle your Computer and Hardware ProductsThis article will explore why it is important to recycle your old computers and other associated hardware products found within your business or school instead of just destroying them.  All businesses and educational institutions such as schools and colleges are faced with disposing of redundant hardware as they come to buy newer, modern equipment.  For some businesses this will be the case every few months or every year or two as the technology market constantly changes and they update the systems they have in place.  Considering this, it is important that computer disposal for both businesses and schools is done in an efficient manner so that computers that could be recycled and used by others do not just get sent straight to landfill where the effects on the environment can be tremendous.  At Buy IT Back we are passionate about computer recycling and this article aims to provide you with a good understand of why your business or school should take computer recycling seriously.

1. Millions and millions of computers and related products end up in landfills each year.  Considering the size of computers, printers, scanners and so on this is causing a significant impact on the volume of waste in landfills across the world.  Even more shocking is that 99% of any computer product can be recycled!

2. Personal computers that are no longer in use are classed by the Environmental Protection Agency in the UK as hazardous waste – meaning that computer disposal should be done properly following strict guidelines.  In this case computer recycling can be seen as an easier option for both businesses and schools.

3. As both the internal and external materials used in computers can be reused to build future electronics, recycling can result in lower prices for new computers.  As well as this reusing these materials means we are helping the environment by reducing the need to mine for new materials thus saving out natural resources.

4. Computers contain metal components that are all recyclable, so even if these metals are not used in the manufacturing of new computers they can be put to vital use in the production of many other products.

5. Computers are taken for granted by millions of individuals and businesses particularly in the UK.  However there are many organisations out there that do not have a few hundred pounds to spend on a new computer and would greatly welcome an older model.  Donating an old but working computer and any other associated products to an organisation such as a charity could mean that they can greatly increase the productivity!

6. Glass and plastic that are found in computer monitors are materials that do not biodegrade – therefore if they are sent to landfill they could be lying there for many, many years.  However, these materials are very easy to recycle – thinking about the environment is the key message here!

7. Computers and other hardware products can actually pose a great health hazard when dumped in landfills.  Some of the internal parts within computers use substances such as lead, mercury and lithium that are poisonous to plants, animals and humans.  These substances can easily leak into the soil found in landfills which can lead to groundwater contamination.

8. Burning computers is another dangerous way to destroy computers.  When they are set alight toxins are released in to the air and can be present for a good number of days where in the mean time people breath these poisonous elements in.

9. Computer recycling lessens the pollution effects on the environment and as well as this recycling results in less energy consumption.

10. Correct computer disposal carried out by a professional company such as Buy IT Back ensures that any privacy and security issues are well taken care of.  Clearing hard drives to prevent private information being shared should be a key concern for all businesses and this process should be left to professionals.

11. Companies should think about job creation – computer recycling provides the opportunity to create environmental jobs in the recycling of computer products and the reuse of recycled materials in the production of new products.

12. Obviously there are also now legal requirements in place for businesses to follow and strict guidelines must be adhered to – computer recycling provides a viable option to stay within the regulations put in place by the EU’s Waste and Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

13. Responsible computer disposal is also now proving popular with more and more businesses and so including how you will safely dispose of unused hardware should be an essential element of your IT strategy.

14. By actively promoting computer recycling you can enhance your corporate social responsibility profile to both customers and other stakeholders.

15. Everyone needs to do more to help our environment and local communities and computer recycling is just one of many ways that your business or school can be seen to be doing good.

16. As technology enhances daily, E-waste is only going to become more of a problem and so getting on top of the issue now is vital for sustainable business to be achieveable.

If your business needs help and advice with your computer recycling requirements, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01621 786 860.

Providing IT Hardware, Data Security, Recycling & Residual Value Solutions For Over 30 Years Since 1992