South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Electronics Management Options

Businesses should not throw away computers and other electronic equipment and must follow all state and federal regulations regarding the proper management of electronics waste. Generally, businesses should:

• donate the equipment to an organization for reuse (e.g., non-profits, schools, churches); or
• recycle it.

Otherwise, businesses wanting to dispose of electronics must follow hazardous waste regulations unless they prove through Knowledge of Process (KOP) or testing that the electronic equipment is not hazardous. KOP means the business has data or other information from the manufacturer that the components will not be hazardous if properly disposed. Keep all records.

If a business decides to recycle, there are a variety of companies that provide recycling of unwanted electronic equipment. (Visit DHEC's Center for Sustainability's Web Page and click on "Access the Sustainability Index Search.")

When selecting a recycler, ask these questions:

• How long has the recycler been in business? Can the recycler provide business references?
• How is the material managed? How does the recycler handle the demanufacture and final disposal of all components and hazardous materials? Is any equipment exported? If so, where and what happens to the equipment?
• Does the recycler verify data destruction?

Improperly managed electronics can be a business liability. If a business chooses a collector/recycler who improperly manages or disposes of electronics, the business (the generator of the waste) may be liable for cleanup. According to state and federal regulations, hazardous waste generators are responsible for final disposition of hazardous waste. Businesses should give as much thought to the selection of a collector/recycler of electronics waste as they would give to any other hazardous waste collector or recycler.

For information on applicable hazardous waste regulations, call DHEC’s Division of Compliance and Enforcement at 803-896-4136.

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Buying ‘Greener’ Computers

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a system to help evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. Currently, more than 2,000 computers and monitors are listed with more being added regularly. The system will be expanded to include additional electronic products (e.g., printers and televisions) in the future.

EPEAT evaluates electronic products in relation to 51 environmental criteria – 23 required criteria and 28 optional criteria. Products are ranked according to three tiers of environmental performance – Bronze, Silver and Gold. All registered products must meet the required criteria. Manufacturers may achieve a higher EPEAT rating for products by meeting the optional criteria.

A list of EPEAT-registered computers is available.

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