Five companies make the GRADE

Archiv – Although technology disposal and recycling is big business, the industry remains relatively fragmented and a variety of processes are used by the different firms to dispose of old equipment. In response, analysts at IT research firm IDC have established a certification process to grade the disposal programmes offered by US computer makers as well as by recycling/disposal specialists. United States | Although technology disposal and recycling is big business, the industry remains relatively fragmented and a variety of processes are used by the different firms to dispose of old equipment. In response, analysts at IT research firm IDC have established a certification process to grade the disposal programmes offered by US computer makers as well as by recycling/disposal specialists.
To date, five companies have earned IDC’s so-called Green Recycling and Asset Disposal for the Enterprise (GRADE) certification, namely: computer manufacturers Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM; and technology disposal and recycling specialists Redemtech and Intechra. ’Although there is still a lot to be achieved, these organisations have made significant investments in establishing sound IT asset recovery/disposal processes,’€™ says David Daoud, IDC’€™s Research Manager – Personal Systems. ‘€˜Their logistics, facilities and remarketing operations utilise today’€™s best standards, which are still evolving and are likely to continue to improve as customer requirements expand, and innovation and new techniques are established.’€™
Based on 34 functions and tasks relating to IT asset disposal, the certification process uses a multi-dimensional weighting system that incorporates the broad offerings of remote applications, on-site services, logistics, in-plant processing and post treatment. Certification is currently focused on the US market.