Steel City Shredding has earned a reputation for its state-of-the-art technology and gold standard security. But it’s our affinity for sustainability that often goes overlooked.
Disposing of sensitive documents, hard drives and e-waste does not mean we dispense with our responsibility to the environment. In fact, our operations are designed to deliver sustainable shredding services so that we can leave a lighter carbon footprint. Plus, your company likely has obligatory or voluntary sustainability goals, and Steel City Shredding is a willing, able, and accomplished partner in achieving them.
Eco-Friendly Paper Shredding
When it’s time to get rid of paper documents, everyone wants them out of sight, out of mind, and out of their hands. The timeline? Preferably yesterday. That’s where Steel City Shredding comes in. Our mobile shredding truck will come to your location, collect all your sensitive documents, and shred them on-site, allowing you to see firsthand that everything has been destroyed beyond recognition.
Forget what you’ve seen on TV shows, where the bad guy goes dumpster diving, matches strips of shredded paper together, and steals sensitive information to wreak havoc. Our industrial paper shredders ensure every page is turned into miniscule, indistinguishable pieces.
Afterwards, the remains are baled up and transported to a verified recycler. We’re proud that 100% of our shredded paper is sustainably recycled. What’s even better is that all the necessary fibers used for creating paper can be obtained through the recycling process and used again to manufacture all kinds of paper products.
Environmental Footprint of Unrecycled Paper
The industrial processes used to make paper consume large quantities of energy and produce methane emissions, further contributing to climate change. It’s estimated that nearly 47 gallons of water are required to create one ream of paper.
On its face, paper in landfills may seem rather harmless. Doesn’t it just rot away with relatively minor effects on the environment? Far from it. Landfills are the leading source of methane emissions, and decomposing paper is a top culprit. Why? Oxygen is not as prevalent in landfills because of all the compacted waste. This actually alters the decomposition process, causing the unrecycled paper to produce methane instead of carbon dioxide.
Green America reports that recycled paper emits 40% fewer greenhouse gases and estimates that if the magazine industry transitioned one million tons of virgin paper to recycled paper, it would have the same impact as taking 248,000 cars off the road for an entire year.
Through our sustainable shredding services, Steel City Shredding is doing its part to preserve trees, reduce energy-intensive paper production, and cut emissions. Our commitment doesn’t stop there. Let’s see how we do the same with e-waste.
What is E-Waste?
E-waste is any electronic device that’s at the end of its lifecycle and ready to be discarded. From phones and laptops to refrigerators and vacuum cleaners, all kinds of different electronics contain chips, metals, and circuitry that can be recycled.
The problem is, e-waste is not getting recycled with nearly enough regularity. A report from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research shows that the world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.
Repercussions of Improper E-Waste Disposal
Even more concerning is the negative effects of e-waste on public health and our environment.
E-waste is not biodegradable, and it’s full of toxic components like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and lead. Placed in a landfill, the pollutants often leach into the soil and can eventually travel into our rivers, further contaminating them. Mercury and lead can also be released into the air, increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses and other health issues in populations.
According to the World Health Organization, when e-waste is improperly disposed of, it can emit up to a 1,000 different substances into the environment. Now that’s an outcome none of us want for our families or the communities we live in.
Sustainable Hard Drive Shredding & E-Waste Disposal
At Steel City Shredding, we recycle all eligible e-waste as part of our sustainable shredding services. The components found in hard drives include important materials like gold, silver, and copper that are essential for electronics and can be recycled. The circuit boards are especially valuable for future use as well.
Our industrial shredders completely destroy hard drives and solid-state drives, eliminating any chance of unauthorized data recovery. This devotion to security is reflected by our NAID AAA Certification, which is earned through ongoing scheduled and surprise assessments by accredited security auditors. This authenticates our compliance with all known data protection laws, including HIPPA, FACTA, GLBA, among others.
Plus, we also dispose of and recycle other forms of e-waste:
- Laptops, tablets & computers
- Cell phones
- Printers & copiers
- Services & networking equipment
- USB drives
- Data tapes and backup tapes
- CDs, DVDs & Blu-Ray Disks
- Floppy disks (if you still have any!)
Just like our paper recycling process, we deliver all shredded hard drives and e-waste to an accredited recycler that sorts and refines the components for future use.
The return on investment of e-waste recycling cannot be understated. In 2022, the e-waste generated around the United States amounted to a whopping $91 billion in precious metals. In that sense, your trash really is treasure for the economy and the environment.
And who can forget the global semiconductor chip shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic? Everything from phones to vehicles to washing machines use these chips. The shortage clogged the supply chain, drove up prices, and delayed product deliveries for months on end. One thing is for certain. Nobody wants another go-around of that experience.
By relying on Steel City Shredding to securely shred your hard drives on site and dispose of your e-waste, you are helping to put high-demand resources back into the supply chain and mitigate the serious environmental effects of unrecycled electronics.
Pennsylvania Laws On E-Waste
Lawmakers in Harrisburg have taken steps to mandate eco-friendly e-waste disposal through the Covered Device Recycling Act (CDRA). This law requires manufacturers to provide recycling programs for consumer electronics sold in Pennsylvania. The state has approved a number of conveniently-located collection sites where you can drop off old electronics for recycling.
Have a few small items? Your local collection center is a great option. But if it’s time to discard a large number of electronics at your company, call Steel City Shredding for a one-time purge. We make the process simple and seamless so you can focus on tackling daily projects instead of lugging boxes of hard drives, computers, and monitors on your own.
Pittsburgh’s Pollution Reduction Efforts
You’ve heard the nicknames Pittsburgh once earned for its smog and air pollution.
“Dirty ‘Burgh.”
“The Smoky City.”
“Hell with the lid off.”
Through a combination of legislation, dedication, and innovation, the Steel City has made great strides to improve its air quality. According to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, our air is now on par with many of the top 50 metro areas across the U.S. We even have less levels of microscopic soot (called PM2.5 ) and ozone than sought-after tourist destinations like Nashville, according to an analysis by Pittsburgh Works Together.
Our sustainable shredding services at Steel City Shredding ensure toxins from e-waste don’t get released into the air, seep into the ground, or pollute our waterways. Additionally, the tonnage of paper we recycle each year reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents our landfills from getting more cramped. We’ve been honored to serve the Greater Pittsburgh area since 1928, and you can have peace of mind that we’re passionate about building a cleaner, brighter future.
Protect Your Garbage Collectors from E-Waste Fires
Ever tell yourself, “A few lithium-ion batteries in the trash won’t hurt,” or “One laptop can’t do that much damage.”
The EPA tells quite a different story. The agency analyzed 240 fires started by lithium-ion batteries from 2013-2020, and the ignition sources had a much smaller profile than you’d think. Batteries from devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops, hoverboards, and even e-cigarettes were among the accelerants. They’re a proverbial tinderbox, because when punctured, the components can short-circuit, heat up, and spark.
On top of that, municipal garbage trucks and waste management facilities are not equipped to safely dispose of e-waste. Since trash includes lots of flammable materials like paper, cardboard, and plastics, they can ignite rapidly if a damaged battery starts showering sparks. When a collection truck’s mechanical arm and compactor crushes all the trash together along with a compromised battery, flames can easily break out.
E-waste fires cause expensive damage to collection trucks and facilities, put workers in peril, and generate toxic fumes from burning plastics, metals, and chemicals. So by taking steps to set up a scheduled shredding service with Steel City Shredding, you’re being a good steward of the environment and a great neighbor to the hardworking teams that collect your trash and recyclables.
E-Waste Recycling Minimizes Demand for New Mining
While Steel City Shredding is a Pittsburgh-based company, our industrial shredding services have a widespread impact. The more precious resources recycled at the local, state, and national level, the less we have to rely on mining.
Electronics and hard drives are made of metals like copper, aluminum, lithium, silver, and gold. These elements are extracted from the earth through mining practices. For example, lithium is an essential element to batteries, semiconductor chips, and other electronic components. Yet it is a finite resource, and mining for lithium can leave generational scars on the planet.
Case in point. Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia make up the “Lithium Triangle” which holds abundant lithium deposits underneath their salt flats. To reach the deposits, miners drill beneath the flats and pump water, bringing the brine to the surface. The brine is then allowed to evaporate, chemicals are added to remove the impurities, and the resulting solution is processed so the lithium can be extracted.
Estimates show that miners need 500,000 gallons of water per ton of lithium recovered. In Chile’s Salar de Atacama region, mining operations have consumed 65% of the region’s water supply, leading to shortages for local communities and farmers. Another consequence of lithium mining is that chemical runoff can get into rivers and lakes, poisoning fish and polluting sources used to water livestock and irrigate crops.
Other types of mining also have dire environmental consequences. Gold is prized for its electrical conductivity and is used in circuit boards, smartphones, computers, and televisions, to name a few. In a series of articles in the Miami Herald, investigative reporters Jay Weaver, Nicholas Nehamas, Jim Wyss, and Kyra Gurney explored the ramifications of the gold trade, which later served as the foundation for their book Dirty Gold.
Among their findings was how both legal and illegal mines in South America contributed to deforestation, clearing thousands and thousands of acres of trees for mining operations. Trees are vital for absorbing carbon dioxide and stemming the tide of climate change. Losing them anywhere is a problem and even more so when regions of the Amazon rainforest are chopped away.
The book also covers how illegal mines, often controlled by criminal organizations and narcotraffickers, exploit workers, exposing them to long-term health effects and brutal working conditions. These challenges aren’t limited to South America. Mines across the globe in Africa and Asia face similar issues.
There are no overnight solutions to this crisis. However, e-waste disposal through Steel City Shredding, along with other responsible companies, can collectively ease the demand for new mining by putting metals back into the economy and global supply chain.
“Siri, find paper shredding near me.”
We saved you a voice search! By taking the time to read this article, you can be confident that Steel City Shredding is the right solution.
We are your go-to for sustainable shredding services that lessens your carbon footprint, solves the logistical challenge of eco-friendly paper shredding and e-waste disposal, and ensures your compliance with regulations surrounding customer data.
Ready to get started? You have a few different options.
Schedule a one-time purge. We’ll come to you anywhere in the Greater Pittsburgh area and make the process convenient and efficient.
You can also choose a scheduled shredding service if you have recurring needs for paper, hard drive, and e-waste disposal. To discuss your shredding needs, call us at 412-496-1240 or contact us for a quote.