Dive Brief:
- Staples Advantage, a B2B division of Staples, announced a partnership with Electronic Recyclers International Inc. (ERI), one of the largest electronics recyclers in North America.
- The two companies will work together to launch a Technology Recycling Service -- a used electronics recycling collection program that will help businesses discard of e-waste properly.
- Staples Advantage touts the program as the first of its kind in the industry.
Dive Insight:
The program gives will provide companies the opportunity to recycle old electronics in a simple way: order shipping boxes online via the Staples website, and place the old e-waste into the box using labels provided by Staples. Upon receipt, Staples will send out a certificate of recycling notifying participants that data was removed and the equipment was recycled. The certificates are accredited by the e-Stewards Initiative.
E-waste recycling is a particularly lucrative field since the amount of waste will increase significantly as more people gain access to an increasing number of electronic products. According to the EPA, the amount of e-waste produced around the world is expected to double in less than two years. In 2011, 41.5 million tons of electronics were generated globally; that number is expected to top 93.5 million tons in 2016.