Sustainability promises to become a defining issue for our generation. How can the global information and communications technology industry (ICT) help to define sustainability during financially difficult times and in times of prosperity?

One solution is to promote environmental improvements with proper recycling of obsolete and out of service electronic devices ranging from modems, routers, PBX phones/systems to communication racks/cabling and IT equipment.
 
According to the EPA, only 15 percent of electronic waste in the United States is recycled. That means 85 percent of toxic e-scrap: those surplus, obsolete, broken or discarded electrical or electronic devices are flooding domestic landfills and waterways or are being exported and dumped overseas.
 
An interesting fact from the EPA states: By recycling 100 million cell phones, approximately 7,500 pounds of gold could be recovered -- allowing that amount of gold to go into new products.1 Recovering the gold from cell phones, rather than mining it from the earth, would prevent 12,000,000,000 pounds of loose soil, sand, and rock from having to be moved, mined, and processed.
 
Everyone in the supply chain in the communications technology industry from the executive board members to field technicians can make a positive impact on the environment by recycling responsibly.

Some of the ongoing concerns:
 
1. Liability issues include equipment with asset tags discovered in landfills, and proper data destruction on media-bearing devices and proof of destruction.

2. How to eliminate stockpiles of old network/datacom equipment, and which equipment can be reused such as fans, distribution panels, OSP devices.

3. How to generate and recapture financial value $$$ from recycling reclamation and parts harvesting.

4. Environmental issues include dumping hazardous materials in domestic and/or international landfills.
 
Is it possible to administer and eliminate the risks of the improper management of IT/telecom assets at end of life while maximizing the return on investment for these assets? The answer is yes.

If a plan is not established, the first step is to implement a life cycle management plan for end-of-life or excess electronic assets which meets an organization's business goals in an environmentally sound manner.

About the Author
Cathi Coan is President of Techway Services, Inc.
Six years ago, Cathi Coan established Techway Services Inc. with a bold vision to help solve a global environmental problem: helping to implement innovative ideas for turning eScrap into marketable commodities and reducing environmental risks associated with the disposal of electronic trash.
 
The mother of four and owner of Techway Services, Inc., Cathi Coan is committed to the highest standards both as a mother and business owner. Because she is a working mother, she remains mindful of the world her children and grandchildren will inherit. Growing up in a small Texas town, Coan learned the value of integrity and building a good reputation early. Those same values are evident in her commitment to her clients, her company's business standards, and to the planet.
 
Coan's commitment to keeping electronics out of landfills through education and awareness is an ongoing priority. Techway regularly participates in regional corporate recycling drives as well as conducting education tours of the Grand Prairie facility. Coan's representatives worked with the Texas Legislature to help successfully pass the Texas Computer Recycling Law that went into effect in September 2008.

About Techway Services, Inc.
Techway Services, Inc., certified woman owned business, is a national leader in growing the on-site electronic data sanitizing market, and a nationally recognized provider of end-of-life (EOL) IT services-striving toward zero landfills. Offering EOL services that include reverse logistics, computer remarketing, computer recycling, and electronic data destruction solutions.

For more information, contact:
Techway Services, Inc.
Cathi Coan, President
Tel: 254-965-9806
URL: www.techwayservices.com

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