Electronic wastes contain toxic substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium, lithium, brominated flame retardants, and phosphorous coatings. These toxic materials can be released upon disposal, posing a threat to human health and the environment.

Data security and environmental regulations are the top pressures that are compelling businesses to invest resources in e-waste disposal. Since 2003, there have been nearly 1,500 public disclosures of data loss involving stolen, lost or disposed assets. While companies are investing heavily in protecting sensitive data, they aren't paying nearly as much attention about what happens when it's thrown in the trash.

To assure the security of your company and customer information use hard disk scrubbers 3-7 times before recycling your discarded PCs.

See our guide to disk scrubbers .

Search For An Electronics Recycler in Your Area:

• mygreenelectronics.org - this site enables you to do a search by zip code to find electronics recyclers in your area.
  
  
• eiae.org - this site allows you to do a state-by-state search for electronics recyclers by using their "clickable" map.
  
  
• earth911.org - this site enables you to do a search by zip code to find electronics recyclers in your area.