You’ve heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Richard Green wants to help businesses recycle their old computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices to create new devices.
Green, CEO, and founder of Tech 4 Success, LLC, a local electronics recycling company, was the guest speaker for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Third Thursday Business Builder event on Thursday. He discussed the importance of developing a plan for dealing with e-waste.
“Electronic devices are 100 percent recyclable,” Green said. “We ensure the items never make it to the landfill.”
Tech 4 Success provides free pick-up for businesses in Augusta-Richmond County.
Companies have three options for properly disposing of old electronic devices: remarketing, donating, or recycling. Remarketing companies typically work with larger businesses to resell items they no longer use, but their services are expensive. Nonprofits, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, also accept these items.
The majority of e-waste disposal companies in Georgia are located in Atlanta and mostly perform remarketing jobs. He said much of the state is underserved.
“We try to find locations that are underserved,” Green said. “Savannah has e-waste it wants to dispose of, but it has no way to dispose of it.”
He emphasized the importance of understanding each state’s laws governing the proper disposal of electronics. There are currently 25 states, including South Carolina, that have these laws. Many prohibit the disposal of electronics in landfills and charge stiff fines for violating their laws.
Green said it’s also important for companies to adhere to federal laws that pertain to deleting sensitive information from electronic devices before disposing of them. For example, hospitals are required by HIPAA to protect patient data while disposing of their old computers and face harsh penalties for violating this law.
“If the violations are egregious enough, HIPAA will shut a hospital down,” he said.
For more information about his company, visit tech4successllc.com.
