Creating Bright Business Opportunities

Recycling A Mobile Device At The End Of Its Life Cycle

When your company no longer needs its mobile devices, you'll enter the end of the mobile device's life cycle: decommissioning. When you are decommissioning your mobile device, you might wonder what to do with it afterward. Typically, the best choice for your business and the rest of the world is to recycle the mobile device. 

The Importance of Recycling

Mobile devices come with a variety of materials. Some of these materials are valuable and should be used to create other products, such as more electronics. Other materials can be toxic for the environment if they are added to a landfill. Lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury, in particular, are hazardous to the environment when they seep out of the device. Mobile devices are made with many useful materials, such as plastic and glass. Much of this can be recycled and used to make new products. 

Reusing Mobile Devices

One of the ways that mobile devices are recycled is by giving them away to an individual in need. This includes individuals who are domestic violence victims and those who are senior citizens and cannot afford a cell phone. 

Unlocking Mobile Devices

In some cases, the user might need to remove his or her ID before the phone can be given to another user. There might be other ways for the device to be unlocked if you do not do it yourself, but it can often take days for the device to be unlocked so it can be given to someone in need.

Managing Mobile Devices for Your Company

The best way to handle the decommissioning of your mobile devices is to use software to track each mobile device and how long it has been in use. You will want to have a specified time period in which your mobile devices will be in use and they will be replaced when you no longer need them. You'll want to inform your employees of when they should turn their mobile devices in and what process they should undergo to have the mobile device deactivated.

Deleting Data

You will need to give your employees instructions on how to remove data that shouldn't be left on the phone. This may be personal data and could also include company proprietary information. For example, your staff member might have downloaded a PDF that contains confidential information and may have read it on a tablet. Removing data will expose your company to less risk.

For more information, contact companies with experience with mobile device life cycle management.