Why do IT Asset Disposition certifications matter? Because besides ensuring that an ITAD vendor has all the qualifications needed to do the job, it comes with oversight that catches malfeasance.
♦️ The e-Stewards certification program has blacklisted Tech-Resale for at least two years, concluding that the electronics reseller violated several of the standard’s requirements.
♦️ e-Stewards administrators alleged that Cedar City, Utah-based Tech-Resale violated the requirements of the standard by exporting materials of concern to developing countries.
♦️ Tech-Resale’s e-Stewards certification lapsed during the period of the investigation, and e-Stewards is prohibiting Tech-Resale from becoming re-certified for at least two years.
♦️ Tech-Resale was one of several certified processors that had passed unannounced audits previously in 2021.
♦️ e-Stewards officials wrote that they first learned about concerns about Tech-Resale on Nov. 29, 2021, when they were contacted by a WT World Trading representative, who claimed Tech-Resale sent them scrap instead of electronics that could be reused.
e-Stewards, along with SERI’s competing R2 standard, are certifications for responsible recycling.
This is the second time I am aware that e-Stewards’ oversight, which includes annual audits during recertification and periodic unannounced audits, as well as investigating complaints, has uncovered wrongdoing by one of their program participants.
The first case I am aware of ended up with criminal charges against 2 principals at the offending company that resulted in convictions and prison sentences.
So when I post about NextUse being one of the best data security-specialized ITAD vendors in the world, and I highlight their NAID AAA certifications for digital media like drives, etc. under i-SIGMA, this will you give you a better understanding of why such hard-won certifications matter to organizations trying to keep the data on their retired IT assets off the Dark Web and the hazardous materials inside those devices out of landfills.
Big shout out to Rebecca Green from NextUse for pointing this article out to me!
