In our rapidly evolving world, upgrading electronics has become a necessary part of any business. But with every new device comes the responsibility of disposing of old ones properly.

For residents and businesses in Union County, NJ, e-waste recycling is essential. New Jersey is home to 800 landfills, or about 800 football fields worth of land. Not only can e-waste leak into soil and create toxic dead zones, but more waste means more landfills and less land for wildlife. Currently, 49% of New Jersey trash if sent to a landfill! (NJFuture.org)

AIT understands the challenges of e-waste disposal, and we’re here to help the residents and businesses of Union County, NJ, recycle their old, broken or unused electronics responsibly.

Read on to learn how you can start recycling your electronic device(s) or contact us now to get started today!

4 Reasons to Recycle your Electronics

Recycling electronic waste isn’t just the right thing to do; it brings long-term advantages for the environment and our state. Keep reading for 4 key reasons to recycle your e-waste!

#1. E-Waste Contains Toxic Materials That Harm the Environment

Electronic waste contains materials that can seriously damage the environment if not disposed of properly. For instance, devices with lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if mishandled or left out in the heat. Hazardous substances can leak and mix to form a toxic material called leachate. E-waste can also have lead and mercury in it, posing long-term health risks if leachate seeps into soil near neighborhoods.

A group of illustrated workers use wrenches to fix a giant phone.

When harmful chemicals contaminate soil, they create dead zones where plants can’t grow anymore. Disposing of your e-waste in the trash guarantees it will end up in a landfill, which only adds to the problem of landfill expansion.

#2. Recycling E-Waste Encourages Material Reuse and Reduces Waste

Recycling your e-waste allows manufacturers to recover materials from old e-waste to create new devices. There’s even a process called the circular economy framework designed to greatly minimize improper e-waste disposal and its associated risks!

Companies that adopt this approach are helping to foster a healthier planet and better recycling practices. That’s where we come in! AIT is committed to helping you easily implement sustainable practices, making responsible e-waste recycling a simple but impactful addition to your normal waste disposal operations.

#3. Improper E-Waste Disposal Destroys Animal Habitats

The U.S. already has a large number of landfills—around 3,000 are currently in operation! That adds up to 1,800,000 acres of lost habitat, now dedicated to waste disposal. Many types of waste end up in landfills, but e-waste alone accounts for 70% of all toxic waste!

Recycling your e-waste prevents lost habitat.

Companies that choose to recycle their electronics are fighting against landfill expansion and improperly handled toxic waste. Their efforts in partnership with our services also help to push the creation of new electronics by allowing for the repurposing of old materials.

#4. Recycling Your E-Waste Protects Your Data

Protecting your data is vital for your organization! In fact, HIPAA Journal reported that 1 in 4 data breaches were due to negligence, such as improper disposal! It’s essential to destroy any data storage devices within your electronics before recycling.

A phone has lines pointing from it that list all of the data on it. Below is a garbage can with a "no" symbol over it.

Erasing your data storage devices also helps to maintain customer trust and ensures compliance with privacy laws. As your partner in e-waste recycling, AIT ensures that your data destruction is completely airtight, allowing you to feel confident that your sensitive information has been completely destroyed! Interested in our data destruction services? Click here to learn more about how we can help!

Step-By -Step Guide to Recycling your E-Waste

Step #1. Check What You Can Recycle

We accept all types of electronics waste including:
Desktop computers
Laptops
LCD/LED monitors
PCBs, scanners
Printers
Network equipment
Mobile phones
Routers
Servers
Lithium ion batteries
If it has a plug, we likely take it!

A neatly assembled stack of electronics is shown, ranging from a flat screen TV to speakers, to a laptop.

We do not accept:
Hazardous waste
CRT monitors
Tube TVs
Lightbulbs
White goods (such as dishwashers and refrigerators)
Oil, gas or liquids
Leaking batteries

Once you’ve decided what to recycle, gather your e-waste into one designated place or bin.

Step #2. Back up Your Data (Optional)

Remove any data storage devices (SSDs, HDDs, memory or SIM cards,) and choose whether to destroy them or transfer the data to your new device(s). If handling this seems overwhelming given the amount of e-waste you have, we can help you remove each data storage device. Click here to get started now!

Quick Tip: If you are planning on upgrading to cellphones with e-SIMs, then your physical SIMs will no longer hold any value and can be recycled once you’ve switched.

Do you have more to recycle but are not sure if those devices contain data? Check out our guide on backing up your data before recycling for each type of electronic device.

Step #3. Destroy Data on Data Storage Devices

This step is essential to protecting your sensitive data! There are multiple options for data destruction ranging from factory resetting the device to shredding the contained data storage device into tiny pieces with an industrial-grade shredder. We never recommend simply factory resetting your device since there may still be backup recovery options available, opening you up to the risk of data theft. Need help with destroying your data? AIT can help! Check out our data destruction services below.

A stack of intact hard drives are on the right indicating before, and shredded hard drives on the right, indicating after.

AIT’s Data Destruction Services

AIT provides physical hard drive destruction with an industrial-grade shredder in our facility, ensuring as a secure level of data destruction for any industry or individual.

If your data is completely destroyed, then it is also completely irretrievable.

Devices that we destroy include hard disc drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs) and other physical storage media. Contact us if you are unsure if we can destroy the data on your device!

Destruction + Asset Serialization

Asset serialization is a scanning service where each of your devices receives a unique identifier. Once pickup and recycling is complete, you will receive an e-waste recycling report that shows you what services have been done to each item.

This is a helpful feature if you need proof of secure chain-of-custody for a specific count of devices. or if you have a large number of highly sensitive data-containing devices.

We can also serialize any device you would like, whether they are data-containing or not.

On-Site Hard Drive Destruction

We can destroy your data at your pickup location if you are within the tri-state area.

This is particularly helpful if you have highly sensitive data or if your company or industry requires a data destruction witness.

Step #4. Contact Us Now To Request Pickup Today!

AIT offers convenient e-waste recycling options. We can pick up your e-waste directly from your location for recycling at our facility, or you can drop it off at our North Brunswick, NJ facility.

An AIT pickup truck is parked in a parking lot, with boxes being loaded into the back of it.

Additionally, we can assist in organizing your next e-waste recycling event. We provide accessible recycling solutions for your entire company by delivering a large bin on-site for a designated time period. After the event and once all e-waste has been processed & recycled at our facility, AIT will supply you with documentation and certificates for your records.

AIT will always provide you with full documentation detailing your recycling overview including:

Certificate of Destruction (CoD)
Certificate of Recycling
Full E-Waste Recycling Report

With accessible pick-up, drop-off and mail-in options available, AIT is excited to bridge the sustainability gap as your recycling partner.

Make the sustainable choice and start recycling your e-waste today!

Revolving E-Waste Recycling Services for Businesses

If you’re looking for a monthly electronics recycling and data destruction solution, then AIT is the perfect recycling partner for you! We will either perform monthly recycling pick-ups, or place a bin at your location and empty it whenever it gets full. We can also service your next corporate e-waste recycling event, with destruction services and certifications provided.

No matter the industry, situation or scope: AIT is proud to help you help solve the e-waste problem in your sector!

Ready to get started? Make the sustainable choice and contact us today to start recycling tomorrow!