IT Hardware Recycling Remains an Orphaned Function in Most Enterprises, Says IDC
A great number of U.S. businesses continue to struggle with implementing best practices in the recycling of their IT hardware and electronics equipment. The IT hardware disposition function remains undefined among many organizations, an “orphaned” function that is neither the full responsibility of IT departments nor procurement or other related functions.
A new multi-client study from International Data Corporation (IDC), IT Asset Disposal and Recycling: United States Enterprise Practices and Outlook 2012-2013, finds that more than one third of the companies recently surveyed do not use proper disposition methods, often adding unjustified cost and complexity to their hardware recycling practices. The use of irrational disposition processes remains high. For instance, the use of company staff to manage donation to charity, adding to cost, risks, and loss of resale opportunity, is practiced by more than 40% of the organizations surveyed. Likewise, the practice of storing assets is alarmingly high as is the use of municipal waste services, which leave companies at legal risk of violating U.S. environmental regulations and preventing them from finding cost containment opportunities through resale and other solutions.
For organizations attempting to incorporate best practices, their IT asset disposal priorities focus on compliance related to data security, followed by the implementation of strategies to contain cost and safeguard business continuity. “Currently, we are witnessing less focus on environmental issues than in the past,” says David Daoud, research director, Personal Computing and Green IT at IDC and author of the study. “The environment was one of the top two concerns from 2003 to 2008 driven by the Green IT debate, but then the 2008 financial crisis forced a change in mindset. The regulatory context has not evolved sufficiently since 2008 to maintain that environmental momentum and attention has shifted to other types of compliance, such as data security, as well as insuring that recycling is done properly.”
Source: IDC