Business News
Cox Enterprises Partners With Redemtech to Ensure Sustainable Approach to e-Waste and Privacy Management
Monday 16. February 2009 - Cox Enterprises today announced an eCycling partnership with Redemtech, a leader in IT asset disposition and Technology Change Management services. The program greatly enhances Cox's environmentally responsible disposal of electronic waste (e-waste), while also providing secure treatment of customer and company data.
The eCycling program is one of many projects under Cox Conserves. The company’s national sustainability program seeks to reduce Cox’s carbon footprint, conserve natural resources and inspire eco-friendly activity among its employees, customers and communities.
To promote the program, Cox held an Employee eCycle Collection Day at six Atlanta locations. Cox employees brought more than seven tons – 14,343 pounds – of used home electronics to the events so Redemtech could ensure it was donated to charity, resold into secondary markets or properly recycled. Proceeds from the resale of equipment will be used to fund additional collection events and technology donation initiatives.
“Proper management of e-waste is a top priority for Cox, and Redemtech shares our commitment to the highest environmental standards,” said Mike Mannheimer, vice president of supply chain services and chief procurement officer, Cox Enterprises. “This program has three tremendous benefits: secure data management, reduction in electronics spending and eco-friendly disposal. We’re able to do what’s best for the environment and what’s best for our company. This is a perfect example of sustainability.”
Once fully implemented across all Cox business units, the eCycling program is projected to divert more than 1.8 million pounds of e-waste from landfills each year. According to U.S. EPA Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator computations, the program will conserve enough energy to power 3,500 households a year and achieve greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing nearly 2,500 passenger cars from the road for a year.
Recycling and Reusing
Redemtech will serve as the exclusive partner managing a comprehensive asset recovery program across Cox Enterprises and its subsidiaries. Redemtech will provide secure recovery and environmentally safe, value-appropriate disposition of all company electronics, including computers, monitors, cable set-top boxes, cell phones, kiosks, hand-held devices and business equipment.
Redemtech’s approach extends equipment lifecycles and promotes re-use through redeployment, remarketing and charitable donation. Recovered Cox IT assets with reusable value will be redeployed within the organization to reduce new procurement or otherwise be tested and refurbished for resale to ensure a productive secondary life – and to keep company assets out of the waste stream.
Assets with no reusable value will be de-manufactured so that any usable components can be salvaged, and the remaining materials will be recycled into raw materials for manufacturing of new products.
Information Security
Information security is a key part of the eCycle program. Redemtech ensures that all electronic equipment is tracked with chain-of-custody controls and verifiably scrubbed of information prior to being repurposed or recycled.
“Identity theft is the number one white-collar crime in America and all too often, identity thieves obtain personal information from lost, stolen or discarded computers, cell phones and handheld digital assistants,” said Bob Brand, vice president of security, Cox Enterprises. “By partnering with Redemtech, all information is removed from the electronic equipment prior to being recycled or disposed. Redemtech provides us with a detailed audit trail for every item they handle. This ensures the highest level of identity protection for Cox employees and customers, making Cox a safer place to work and conduct business.”