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140 P P a r t I I I : a r t I I I : W h a t Y o u C a n D oh a t Y o u C a n D o

Checklist
The EPA utilizes a checklist for federal agencies to help evaluate potential recyclers. The
checklist is a good tool for your company. It can also help you evaluate the following:
• Collectors and haulers Those who collect end-of-life electronics and generally
work under contract with another business.
• Repair shops Those who repair computers for resale and remove operational
components for the highest level of reuse.
• Electronics demanufacturers Those who take electronics apart for reusable
components and also for scrap value.
• Private asset recovery operations Those who specialize in providing the highest
return on discarded computer equipment. They usually work with large-scale
businesses.
Here are some questions to ask when considering a recycler:

• Can the electronics recycler give a general description of its business? This type of
information may include point of contact, number of employees, years in business,
and ownership history.
• Does the electronics recycler accept the products you want recycled?
• Does the electronics recycler service your geographic area and type of organization?
• Can the electronics recycler clearly describe its fees for various types of equipment?
• Can the electronics recycler offer additional services that you may require?
Additional services may include onsite collection support, transportation support,
product reuse or refurbishment, hard-drive erasure/destruction, product tracking,
and recycling guarantee or certificate.
• Can the electronics recycler identify its federal, state, and local environmental
agency contacts?
• Can the electronics recycler provide information on its compliance history? This type
of information should include recent criminal (past 5 years) or civil (past 3 years)
violations, and how they were, or are, being addressed.
• Does the electronics recycler have environmental and/or health and safety
management systems/plans in place? Management systems and/or plans may
include environmental management system (EMS), environmental risk management
plan, hazardous materials management plan, emergency prevention, preparedness,
and response plan.
• Can the electronics recycler provide a description of its processes? An electronics
recycler should be able to provide an overview of its procedures for demanufacturing,
reuse/resale/donation, secure destruction, disposal and waste handling, product
manufacturing, and storage.
• Can the electronics recycler provide a description of what it does with the electronic
equipment it receives? An electronics recycler can utilize a variety of processing
methods, including brokering (matching buyers and sellers), resale of whole units,