Getting rid of papers, used wrappers, and everyday waste is easy. You just place them in a trash can and wait for the garbage collectors to come to collect. It is not the same case with disposing and recycling your electronic waste. When your desktops, printers, and laptops, as well as other electronics, need replacing, you need to follow a proper way of disposing of such waste that will not be hazardous to the environment. You cannot just leave your electronic waste at the roadside and wait for it to be picked. The city of Ottawa has its mechanisms of collecting and e-waste recycling that every business operating in the city’s jurisdiction should be aware of and adhere to. Here is what you need to do as a business to have your e-waste recycled.

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Make Donations

In most cases, the electronic devices that you want to dispose of are in good working conditions, only that you need an upgrade or need to clear junk in your office. Instead of disposing of such devices, your first option should be to give them away to those who need them, but cannot afford. You can consider donating your machines to charities if they are still functioning properly instead of having them thrown away. It is a much better way of recycling than destroying them. In the city of Ottawa, you can give them to institutions like Ottawa Neighborhood Services and Ottawa Mission among others.

Return To Retailer

There are a variety of retailers in Ottawa that allow you to return some electronics to them for recycling when you need to upgrade. When buying any electronic device, you can enquire from your retailer if they have that policy. These retailers liaise with manufacturers to have those old electronics refurbished and upgraded to current technology. Best buys and Select Staples are examples of retailers in Ottawa that have this policy. You can check online for other retailers that also have this policy from sites such as waste explorer. If there are no such retailers around your area, you can try contacting those in neighboring areas or just have the city collectors come for that waste in your premises. Never let the same accumulate as much.

Don’t Leave Them On The Curbside

Electronic waste contains a lot of toxic elements that can easily pollute the soil, groundwater and the environment in general. As the amount of this waste continues to increase due to the rapid changes in technology, the city of Ottawa has strictly forbidden its citizens to avoid leaving this waste on curbsides for normal pick-up. These garbage collectors are not qualified, nor do they have the necessary equipment to safely handle such waste. The waste in question includes items such as old monitors, keyboards, mouse, DVD players, printers and other office and home appliances. The city has instead set in place special locations that businesses and individual holders of such items can take these items when they run out of use. This policy is in line with the city’s effort to safeguard the environment.

E-Waste Removal Company

Considering the nature of e-waste, it could be difficult for some businesses with an excess of such waste to take the waste to the city’s designated collection centers. It could even be expensive, and to some extent dangerous trying to do so. Instead of tasking your business with a difficult and hazardous process, you can instead hire a professional e-waste removal company to help you dispose of this waste. Such a company will come with qualified personnel and use the right equipment at an affordable price. They save you the hassle of having to clear off such materials yourself. They will also advise you on how to manage your electronic devices to keep them safely within your premises when they run out of use before they are disposed of. You can follow this link to see more.

Remove Personal Data

Now that you know where to take your e-waste or who to contact if you need the same collection, there are measures that you need to take as a business or individual to safeguard yourself. Before you set aside any device, especially, old CPUs and external hard disks, it is important that you thoroughly run through them to ensure that you do not leave them with any data concerning your business. If such data were to get in the wrong hands, which is a big possibility, it might compromise your business. So, make sure that you format every computer and hard disk before giving them up for recycling.