If you’ve recently taken the plunge and upgraded your telephony solution, you may be wondering how best to dispose of your old equipment. In 2003 WEEE regulations were brought in, meaning a business could no longer dispose of anything with a plug in their general waste. With hazardous materials being incorporated into electronic equipment, disposing of these items inappropriately has a negative impact on the environment and could also land you with a very hefty fine – up to £15,000,000! So, what are the options available to businesses?
WEEE recycling
Unfortunately, most local council recycling centres will not accept anything business related so taking a phone system and network related equipment to one of these sites won’t be possible. However, most areas have local WEEE collectors who work on a chargeable basis and will collect your items from your premises. Charges are normally calculated by weight. Search online for a local waste management company and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
Sell it!
There is still a market for legacy phone systems and in particular handsets. Do a quick search on eBay for the model of handset you’ve got, and you’ll see there are always some being sold. If you’ve got some spare time, then they could be listed individually or as a set. This obviously takes a bit of leg work so won’t suit everyone, but you could get a bit of cash back for your old equipment.
Second-hand resellers
If you don’t fancy selling it yourself, you could find a second-user reseller who will do it for you. They will buy your whole selection of equipment from you and refurbish it for re-sale; all you need to do is box it up and ship it to them. Once they have received it, they will test it all, so the price agreed may vary. But this is a quick solution to get rid of kit easily and with minimal fuss.
But before you do….
Don’t forget to check whether the equipment is actually owned by you. Many businesses chose to lease phone systems rather than purchase, so ensure you check the small print to see whether you gained the title of equipment at the end of the lease or whether you need to return it!
