The Green Grid Publishes New Data Center Recycling Metric

Nerval's Lobster writes "The Green Grid, which helped popularize metrics for minimizing wasted electricity in data centers, has developed a new method for cutting down on wasted electronics as old servers and other equipment reach their inevitable retirement. The Electronics Disposal Efficiency metric is designed to help minimize electronic waste, specifically servers and other enterprise hardware. It will take a cue from other organizations, including the Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative. The Green Grid is trying to build on established regulations that govern the disposal of consumer electronics such as televisions, including the rules governing Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) within the EU. The metric isn't concerned with whether equipment has been reused or recycled, or where it's broken down into component parts. But Green Grid decided that recyclers need to be ISO 14001 certified, on top of being audited 'to the end of the line'—presumably to ensure that materials were being recycled and not discarded somewhere along the recycling chain."

Opportunities for profit

[smi.james.th]

Isn't there a lot of precious metal in E-waste? AFAIK harvesting that can be quite lucrative as well. It surprises me that one needs initiatives such as this, one would think that the firms would want to recycle electronics anyway...

Re:

[Teun]

You are right there is money to be made out of E-waste.

We are now two hours after the submission of this article and this seems to be the second comment, in my eyes some indication lots of people just don't care about recycling or the environment.

And Americans are just waking up :)

Re:

[Nammi-namm]

You are right there is money to be made out of E-waste.

We are now two hours after the submission of this article and this seems to be the second comment, in my eyes some indication lots of people just don't care about recycling or the environment.

And Americans are just waking up :)

I am commenting because I care. Everyone should. This really reminds me of the documentary The Lightbulb Conspiracy. You can see it on youtube if you guys are interested, it has this exact subject in it.

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[alexgieg]

Isn't there a lot of precious metal in E-waste?

I've read somewhere it's currently way more expensive to get raw materials from e-waste than to directly mine them from the earth. At some point, when natural mines are all but exhausted, that'll change, but not for now. By then we'll see current waste deposits become the new mines (plus recycling becoming the norm). Then at some point the waste mines themselves will be exhausted and we'll be left with full, continuous, permanent recycling of everything, no more waste deposits at all.

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[SST-206]

At some point, when natural mines are all but exhausted, that'll change, but not for now. By then we'll see current waste deposits become the new mines

Indeed. And in this case, surely it would be a good idea if we started burying E-waste in separate dedicated E-waste dumps instead of in with all the other landfill trash, so we can find it more easily when we need it again.

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[tlhIngan]

Isn't there a lot of precious metal in E-waste? AFAIK harvesting that can be quite lucrative as well. It surprises me that one needs initiatives such as this, one would think that the firms would want to recycle electronics anyway...

Tons. So much so many mining companies actually prefer it - it's a LOT easier to mine e-waste for valuables than it is to actually extract them from the ground - the concentration of valuable minerals is so much higher that it's way more profitable. It's why you never really hav

Recycling certifications

[The Green Grid]

The Green Grid is very pleased to introduce Electronics Disposal Efficiency, which is the culmination of over a year of activity and engagement. EDE combines the domain expertise of organizations such as StEP (Solving the e-Waste Problem) with The Green Grid's experience in developing and promoting metrics for resource-efficient information technology and data centers. One small clarification specific to recycling certifications is that The Green Grid is not necessarily requiring that recyclers be ISO14001