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Environmentally Friendly Retail Print this page
The Greening of Retail Written by Francis Clark for Retail Solutions Online Green Issue, March 2008 Did you know that we in the IT Industry are creating waste, E-Waste, at a rate of 4 times other waste? In 2007 alone, we created over 12 million tons of the stuff just here in the US. This material contains significant amounts of toxic or hazardous materials like heavy metals, brominated compounds and polyvinyl chlorides which leach toxins into the soil and ultimately into our ground water. I am sure you have seen pictures of the mess that China has from not caring effectively for their wastes and consequently their water supply is contaminated across much of the country. Countries without waste control policies OR citizens in those countries not adhering to such policies can spoil much more than the landscape. Toxins in our soil and groundwater can lead to crop deficiencies, birth defects and serious illness. Every one of us has the responsibility to do something about our waste and E-Waste is something that we CAN & MUST CONTROL. By 2008, over 500 million obsolete computers will be stockpiled in households, corporate warehouses and other repositories in North America. And we add another 20 million computers each year! And should these numbers startle you, they are dwarfed by the numbers of cell phones that are mounting up. What is it and where does it all come from? Just look at the following list and you will quickly see what 300 million people in North America can pile up: • IT Assets and peripheral devices • Telecommunications equipment • Audiovisual equipment • Consumer electronics • Batteries • Fluorescent bulbs Just about every company AND individual citizen has something that should NOT be put into the trash with other garbage. As corporations, those things occupy empty trailers sitting in freight yards, warehouses tying up valuable warehouse space or even worse; sent to commercial storage facilities where we pay daily for this retired equipment. Do we think the longer we hold it the more relevant it will become? In fact, the longer you sit on this out of date gear the more it costs you and the more it is going to cost to have it destroyed in an environmentally safe way. The danger is that someone in the bowels of the organization will make a decision to ‘get rid of all of that stuff’ and a truck will pick it up and take it somewhere to be dumped. That gear has serial numbers and they are able to be traced! YOU can be identified as a cause of unsafe disposal practices. YOU can be sued for your disposal practice. The company or person you used to dispose of the equipment, if they cannot certify to you at serial number level that correct and environmentally safe destruction has occurred….YOU are at fault. The little guys will simply be brushed away to get to the larger company where the problem started. So what are you looking for to make this problem go away: • Full diversion from landfill • Reclamation of component parts • Downstream auditing o Asset tag auditing o Waste diversion reporting • Complete end-of-life product destruction • Secure data destruction that meets US DoD 5220.22-M, & RCMPTSSIT OPS-II standards • Videotaping of destruction • Certification of destruction • AND, no off shore processing or disposal Mainstreet’s ARTEX Environmental Corporation has over 100 years of combined expertise in this industry and is strategically located with facilities near all transportation links in Toronto, Canada and Dallas, Texas. One call and we do it all. You have full certification by serial number and full videotaping. What a relief knowing that you don’t have to background check your disposal company and see where they are taking the retired equipment. ARTEX has a completely environmentally safe and responsible process that turns over 3 tons of e-waste feedstock per hour by: • Separating components containing hazardous materials from the feedstock prior to processing • Shredded and run through a series of sophisticated separation and vibration screening techniques producing discrete material streams • Process by proven recycling equipment and techniques configured to optimize the maximum recovery of components and precious metals • Using a sophisticated dust collection system that fines and particulates for recycling • Insuring all materials are diverted from landfill and recycled downstream within North America. A one stop shop that removed the cost of storage, loss of space being tied up by useless gear and the danger of someone making a ‘snap decision’ which could cost your company millions in law suits and negative publicity. ARTEX is committed to providing our customers with solutions that are both environmentally and socially responsible. For more information please visit us at http://www.mainstreetinc.net/Recycling.html or contact us at info@mainstreetinc.net To contact Francis Clark: Please email francispclark@mainstreetinc.net or call 850-384-6509 |
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