The exponential growth of e-waste has prompted a search for green alternatives to help alleviate the impact our technological devices have on our planet. One of these alternatives is refurbished technology. Buying refurbished cell phones, computers, tablets, and more can help boost the circular economy and benefit our environment. Read on to learn more about the relationship between refurbished technology and the circular economy, and how you can benefit the Earth and still obtain all of the technology you need. What Is the Circular Economy? A circular economy is one that encourages manufactur ..read more

Electronic waste is the largest growing waste stream worldwide. The U.S. is a big contributor to that waste stream, and, unfortunately, most of our e-waste still ends up in landfills. Electronics contain toxic materials, including PVC plastic and hazardous chemicals, as well as heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium. In a landfill, these toxic substances can contaminate soil and groundwater, affecting people, animals, and plant life. And while the e-waste recycling industry is growing, electronics recycling in the U.S. still has a long way to go. A large percentage of the population is s ..read more

Since 2005, 11.7 billion records have been breached through phishing, malware, and other kinds of cyberattacks. And in their 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, Verizon notes that login credentials are the favored type of data for bad actors to steal because it is so useful for mimicking legitimate users online. In fact, they found that over 80% of basic web application attacks (attacks that directly target an organization’s most exposed infrastructure, such as web servers) can be attributed to stolen passwords. Once passwords are stolen, they are often made available on the dark web, wher ..read more

Data breaches have impacted millions of consumers over the past several years. Companies with data breaches are being sued for their failure to protect their clients’ and patients’ private information…and it’s costing them big. One of the most well-known data breaches in recent history was the 2017 Equifax breach, where lax security methods led to the theft of 143 million social security numbers, credit card numbers, and driver’s licenses. This shows the importance of having strong data security measures in place. But data security shouldn’t end when your devices are no longer usable. Improper ..read more

Tech Discounts and Tech Dump are coming together as one for a seamless recycling, partnering, and shopping experience! These two arms of our enterprise will no longer be separate entities. Now, the full scope of our work will be done under a new name: Repowered. This change reflects our multi-faceted mission of recycling and refurbishing electronics and working toward digital equity while providing paid training and jobs for people facing barriers to employment. Tech Dump and Tech Discounts Are Now Repowered!   As we’ve grown, we’ve come to realize that these names we’ve used for over a d ..read more

According to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020, 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste were generated worldwide in 2019, up 21 percent over the previous five years. And this number is expected to grow to 74.7 million metric tons by 2030. At this rate, e-waste is currently the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. And if left unchanged, it could have devastating effects on our environment. So what can be done about the growing challenge of e-waste? It turns out, a lot. What Is E-Waste? E-waste — or electronic waste — is the term used for discarded electronic devices, including computers, cell p ..read more

Diversity and inclusion have become influential buzz words in the work environment in recent years, largely due to the racial justice conversations that have been taking place nationally and globally. Any employer who wants to attract and retain a skilled workforce needs to recognize that prospective employees often have very high expectations of company culture, and will be paying attention to both claims and demonstrations of healthy diversity and inclusion. One way to boost the diversity and inclusion at your workplace is to be a fair chance employer. The goal of fair chance hiring is to of ..read more

Life post-incarceration is challenging for everyone, but women face their own distinct set of trials. Unfortunately, both the criminal justice system itself as well as the network of social services intended to help people land on their feet when they are released generally focus on the needs of men. Incarceration has soared for both genders. For example, between 1978 and 2015, women’s state prison populations grew by 834%, compared to 367% for men. About 1.9 million women are released from prisons and jails each year. This means that about 1 in 8 people released from state prisons i ..read more

It’s time to celebrate! We are honored to be a recipient of the Twin Cities Business Magazine 2022 Community Impact Award and to be in such excellent company with other worthy organizations. Our fellow nominees are doing important work in the areas of health care, food access and equity, business and entrepreneurship transformation, equity in banking, and much more. Organizations qualified for the award are nonprofits and for-profit businesses whose efforts are making a significant difference in our state in areas such as poverty alleviation, hunger relief, and access to capital. To be conside ..read more

At the beginning of this year, we announced our new NAID AAA certificationⓇ. We are thrilled to be NAID certified to further ensure the security and proper destruction of your sensitive data. But what does NAID AAA certification entail, and what can you expect when you request NAID AAA services from us? Let’s take a closer look. What Is NAID AAA Certification? NAID (National Association for Information Destruction) is a watchdog association for secure data destruction operators around the world. They work to promote best practices for data destruction, providing organizations with the tools ne ..read more