Certification for IT Asset Disposal Providers

On July 15, 2008, IDC, an IT research organization, release the criteria and the first 5 organizations to be certified under their new asset recovery  certification program.  Dell, HP, IBM, Intechra and Redemtech were the first U.S. companies to receive the seal of approval under the guidelines IDC has developed.

The certification program is titled Green Recycling and Asset Disposal for the Enterprise (G.R.A.D.E)and takes into consideration five major areas; (1) remote applications, (2) on-site services, (3) logistics, (4) in-plant processing, and (5) post-treatment processes.¹

The certification program currently focuses on the U.S. market but is expected to expand in the near future. 

Many proponents of Green IT have been advising organizations to careful evaluate recycling providers for a long time now, however, as with any new industry, it has been difficult to set standards and create competition.  This certification program is the first step in setting best practises and helping organizations make informed choices about asset disposal companies.  In addition, this will encourage the industry to move towards best practises to gain certification.

"Although there is still a lot to be achieved, these organizations have made significant investments in establishing sound IT asset recovery/disposal processes," said David Daoud, research manager, Personal Systems at IDC. "Their logistics, facilities, and remarketing operations utilize today’s best standards, which are still evolving and likely to continue to improve as customer requirements expand and innovation and new techniques are established."²

Asset disposal is a significant part of the policies and procedures that make of your Green IT program.  Check out our Green IT Guide for information on practises to enhance your environmental performance and save money.

References

1.  Wheeland, Matthew.  "Five Industry Leaders Earn IDC's First Asset-Disposal Certifications," GreenerComputing, July 16, 2008.

2.  IDC. "IDC Awards G.R.A.D.E. Certification to Five IT Asset Disposal Organizations," IDC.com, July 15, 2008.