Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our "Frequently Asked Questions" page. Here you can get a quick and basic introduction to Protocol Green. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Why should my business consider Protocol Green?

Protocol Green will provide you with the utmost care and service to ensure that your materials are handled properly.  Our aspiration is to become your go-to source for all of your recycling and e-waste needs. We make sure that every single component from your various electronic devices are carefully, responsibly, and appropriately recycled and/or disposed of to the fullest extent possible.    

We have strict rules and guidelines that we adhere to in order to ensure that all of your data and information is properly removed and destroyed.  Your security and privacy is our foremost priority. You can always rely on us to ensure that your personal documents, files, pictures, and the like will be removed and erased from all of your IT assets.

How do we handle e-waste?

Here at Protocol Green, we have adopted very thorough standards and procedures in how we handle all types and forms of e-waste.  We disassemble and meticulously go through each component of every single technology device we recycle, refurbish, and/or reuse.  This is all part of our end goal: to keep as much electronic waste out of landfills as possible.

Furthermore, we carefully and meticulously ensure that all harmful and potentially dangerous materials within these electronics are properly disposed of.  It is of paramount importance to us to make sure that everyone involved in this process of e-waste recycling and disposal is fully protected and not exposed to these types of hazards.

why should i help stop e-waste from reaching landfills?

For starters, there are certain parts and components within various electronics which can be quite detrimental to the environment. After all, this e-waste does not just vanish from the Earth; it can cause air to turn toxic, water to become contaminated, soil to become polluted, and poison plants and wildlife.

Also, some of these components may have sizable amounts of regulated heavy metals stored within them, including mercury, lead, beryllium, and cadmium.  In addition to these toxins there are many precious metals that would otherwise go to waste. A number of these metals and materials can be properly disposed of or recovered.

what is the recycling process?

Collecting and recycling e-waste is not a simple process. At Protocol Green, we carefully check that your e-waste does not comprise of any hazardous or potentially toxic materials. This sometimes means dismantling various electronics by hand. If any component does have harmful or dangerous contents, we follow our strict guidelines to properly dispose of them.

The first step in our recycling process involves seeing if any of the components within your IT assets can either be salvaged or refurbished, so that we can find them a new home, which does not mean in a landfill.  The second step entails destroying and/or removing any information that is stored on your devices (i.e., hard drives) so that your privacy and security will be protected.

We then repair, reformat, and clean your devices with the highest standards and quality care.  This process occurs for each and every IT asset we get in, and it is only if/when an electronic has hazardous components/parts or needs to be decommissioned, that we must responsible dispose of it in an environmentally sound manner.

Protocol Green will consider other electronic devices, so please feel free to contact us to see if what you have constitutes part of our e-waste recycling program.

what would happen if i did not properly dispose of my electronics?

Besides legal action, there is also an ethical standpoint to think about, as improperly handling e-waste not only exacerbates the world's pollution problem, it has significant consequences on plants, wildlife, and all of the environment's inhabitants, in general.

The biggest repercussion would be a "Notice of Violation" issued by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

This infringement states that "Failure to correct the alleged violations cited required by this NOTICE may result in the assessment of penalties, not to exceed $27,500 per violation pursuant to Section 3008 of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976, 42 U.S.C. § 6928.".

why is protocol green a better option than just donating my electronics?

While some donation-based programs can have merit to them, there are significant potential risks and liabilities involved. 

First of all, there are not always clear and well-defined limits and accountabilities established between you and the other party, which can shift some of the risk back to you.  After all, these donation companies usually cannot ensure that all of your important files and data will be properly wiped and removed from your devices.  However, we at Protocol Green provide you with the highest quality service and care to mitigate any risks and liabilities.

Secondly, there is a multitude of state and federal laws that have been established, which are not always adhered to by donation companies.  For instance, the Health Insurance Portability Act (HIPAA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1993 were established to make all organizations and companies are legally obligated to ensure clients are protected and have their privacy.  If a donation-based entity does not sufficiently eliminate your data prior to it being transferred to them that makes both parties vulnerable.  Not only do we understand these strict rules and regulations, but we follow them to guarantee complete compliance.

Finally, as opposed to some of these donation companies, Protocol Green provides consultations before, during, and after you decide to work with us, so you can have full confidence and trust in recycling your obsolete and/or surplus electronic devices with us.

How come certain electronics cost money to recycle?

Protocol Green makes every possible attempt to salvage the most value from your outdated IT assets and properly recycle every component that can be safely disposed of.  Nonetheless, there are particular devices that have additional costs to responsibly recycle: NiCd batteries, CRTs Monitors and TVs, etc.

Moreover, some of the metals and elements that are used to produce certain electronics, which include lead, arsenic, mercury, and antimony are not healthy for us to work with.  If these materials are not safely and responsibly disposed of, it is remarkably easy for these elements to eventually end up in our systems and lead to serious ailments, such as seizures, lung damage, and even cancer (just to name a few).  Needless to say, if this e-waste is not properly handled, it can also have a detrimental effect on our environment.

In order to combat these harmful effects to our natural habitat, responsible e-cycling organizations (like us) offer resources and environmentally friendly practices on how to safely dispose of your outdated assets.  To our dismay, there are some firms that simply export such e-waste to countries like China, Ghana, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan just to cut costs.  These devices usually get taken apart by men, women and children who are vulnerable and are completely exposed to the toxins and materials within these devices. During this time, they are often exposed to the weather and leach their toxins into the ground and water.

Protocol Green finds these practices to be completely unacceptable and against everything we stand for.  Therefore, we concentrate on safe and appropriate disposal of your e-waste recycling that does not exacerbate these problems further.