(re) blog: dialogue with Redemtech

Why New Low-End Computers Aren’t Really a Value

Why do you think Corporate America typically invests in new business-grade computers rather than $399 computers that so many of us tend to buy for our personal use? You may think there are some reasons (maybe funny):

• Because they are corporations, and can spend what they want
• Because the OEM places free mouse pads in the box
• Because buyers are told to only buy business machines
• Because they have cooler names

Earth Day Bragging Has Begun

Now comes the bragging. The race for various businesses and organizations to stake a claim to how much e-waste they collected on Earth Day, thereby showing just how environmentally friendly they are, is getting into full swing.

Redemtech Mascot Contest Produces Many Animated Results

Whimsy was what directed me last week to propose an informal competition seeking suggestions for an Earth Day mascot and I have to admit that I received a lot of whimsical responses. While few can argue that Woodsy Owl does a good job of warning us about the dangers of pollution, a flock of creative people submitted their ideas for an Earth Day mascot that more aptly represents other environmental concerns, chiefly the global electronic waste crisis. We certainly wound up with a lot of original and unusual mascot ideas.

Earth Day and E-Waste Deception

Everyone hopes to do the right thing when trying to help the environment, especially on Earth Day. When we put that plastic bottle or stack of newspapers in the recycling bin, we hope that the bin isn’t simply carted off to some landfill and dumped. When we pay the extra money to the garage to recycle our motor oil, we don’t want to suspect that the oil is actually being poured into some hole in the ground to leach into the water supply.

But how do you know – really know – unless you ask?

E-Stewards Certification News Roundup 2

Following the Basel Action Network (BAN) announcement of the e-Stewards program for responsible electronics recycling certification and auditing, news coverage was widespread. Included were several articles noting Redemtech as one of only three companies that have already achieved full e-Stewards Certification status and the first company to achieve certification for all of its facilities nationwide, accounting for two-thirds of e-Stewards facilities certified to date. Below is a roundup of recent news coverage:

'Hoping for the Best' Ends Today With Launch of e-Stewards Standard

Anyone with good PowerPoint skills can pretend to be an IT services provider. Likewise, someone who rents a warehouse and installs a shredder can claim to be an electronics recycler. One of these popped up in Columbus recently, started by two guys in commercial real estate with lots of unrented property and time on their hands.

E-Stewards Certification News Roundup

During the past several months, news coverage of the new e-Stewards Electronics Recycling Certification program has been building momentum, culminating in today’s Basel Action Network (BAN) announcement. Below is a roundup of news coverage thus far:

Owls, Beavers or Bears - Give Us Your Suggestions for an E-waste Mascot in Time for Earth Day

The first time I really noticed the owl, he was playing ping pong with a beaver. He’d been around a few years, having been introduced on Earth Day in 1970 as part of a campaign to raise awareness about pollution and other dangers to the environment, but I wasn’t all that aware of Woodsy Owl until he appeared in a comic book in 1973.

PC E-Waste Emissions: A Clear & Present Danger

Not long ago, I was reading an article about the global problem of obsolete PCs, which included some projections of e-waste volumes from this source. But what I found most surprising was that the study didn’t quantify or even estimate the detrimental environmental ramifications associated with the developing world’s recycling emissions. And by that I mean specifically lead (Pb) emissions that are inherent with any sub-standard circuit-card melting processes.