Most of us are familiar with the phrase Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. And most of us try our best to practice this in our everyday lives; we bring our own shopping bags to the market, we recycle cans and bottles, and we have invested in reusable water bottles, lunch kits, and energy saving appliances.
But one thing we might forget about is our technology hardware, or what folks in the industry call, e-waste. If we toss out an old or outdated device; TV, computer, or document scanner into our regular garbage can, these go right into the same landfill as all of our other garbage. The problem with that is that many of these devices contain toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and chromium, which if not disposed of properly can leach into the ground and water systems. Additionally, many parts from these devices can readily be repurposed for other uses, so why not recycle them?
Here are some e-waste statics published by DoSomething.org:
- In 2009, discarded TVs, computers, peripherals (including printers, scanners, fax machines), mice, keyboards, and cell phones totaled about 2.37 million short tons.
- E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste.
- Only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.
We are well aware of the impact e-waste has on the planet. So to follow one of our guiding principles, "operating in harmony with nature", we provide a free recycling service for customers retiring their scanner or other hardware.
Our free recycling program is easy to use. Simply visit the AnythingIT.com and fill out the form. You will receive a free shipping label and instructions on how to send in your hardware, where it will be disposed of properly. You can also take advantage of our trade-in programs with options to upgrade to a new model.
If you want to continue using an older scanner model but the operating system may be outdated, you can visit the FCPA Drivers and Downloads page to get the most up-to-date software. In the event where we no longer support a software, please contact our Technical Assistance Center to find out about other options.
To learn more about our sustainability and recycling program, please click here.