Fake E-Waste Recycling and How to Avoid It

Due diligence is a term that’s commonly used in the business world. And, when it comes to finding an e-waste recycler for your company’s IT overflow, due diligence is exactly what you need to do to ensure that the company you’re handing your hardware over to does exactly what they claim to do.

The reason is because e-waste recycling is a hot topic and as one might expect, there are companies out there trying to cash in on it without actually recycling anything. Fake e-waste recycling not only hurts your business, but it also hurts the environment and the underdeveloped countries where the hardware ultimately ends up.

Why is Fake Recycling So Rampant?

Despite its popularity, recycling e-waste is not an extraordinarily profitable industry. There are several costly steps included in the process, including dismantling the equipment, separating the raw materials, and recycling in accordance with EPA regulations. There are a lot of time and man hours involved in performing proper e-waste recycling and disposal.

Fake recyclers want the money without putting in any of the work. They accept equipment from a client and then instead of dismantling the equipment and recycling the raw materials properly, they simply load the inventory up on a barge and ship it overseas where it ultimately winds up on the shores of a developing country.

How to Identify Fake E-Recyclers

Fake e-waste recyclers have become pretty savvy over the years and as a result, they can often be hard to tell apart from reputable e-recyclers. These companies make similar claims as reputable firms, so it pays to do your due diligence when researching potential recycling firms for your equipment. The easiest way to avoid fake e-waste recyclers is to know how to identify a reputable one.

The fastest way to ensure that a recycling company is legitimate is to find out whether or not they are e-Stewards Certified. There are several important certifications and memberships in the e-waste handling industry, including R2 certification and ISO 14001 certification, but only the e-Stewards certification prohibits the exporting of non-working or untested e-waste to developing countries.

Another tip – when searching for e-waste recyclers, always ask – who is paying for the recycling? If a recycler is accepting televisions or other electronic equipment at no cost or for a small price, then odds are that company is shipping those TVs overseas. Why? Because proper recycling costs money and if a company isn’t charging for its services or it’s charging only a small service fee, then there’s a good chance that the equipment is being sold overseas through a broker.

Liquid Technology Offers E-Stewards Dependability

If you’re looking for a reputable e-waste recycling firm to handle your excess inventory of hardware then contact Liquid Technology today. We’re e-Stewards Certified, fully insured, and we guarantee that your equipment will be dismantled and processed right here in the United States. Plus, we provide our clients with a full chain of custody documentation which tracks the progress of their equipment from pick up to disposal. Call us today at 800-797-5478 or email us and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free quote for service.