Circular and sustainable asset disposal solutions

ITAD AFRICA is a 100% black-owned Information Technology (IT) asset disposal and electronic equipment recycling company, which prides itself on providing efficient and sustainable services.

Formerly known as Qobo Recycling, ITAD AFRICA was first established in 2007, and our team has 20 years of experience in the recycling industry. ITAD AFRICA not only has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, security and regulatory compliance but the company is also aligned to the principles of the circular economy.

According to founder and managing director Andile Mahlangu, his passion for e-waste recycling was first sparked in 2010 while he was working very closely with landfills.

“Operating on a landfill gave me the opportunity to see how much electronic waste was really being dumped. I also saw how this waste stream was piling up on landfills, because people are unclear about what to do with their e-waste.

“I saw the scale of opportunity and, after engaging with other industry leaders in the field, decided to focus my energy and resources on the reuse and safe disposal of IT assets,” says Mahlangu.

Committed to sustainability

ITAD’s mission is to create sustainable solutions for the disposal of obsolete IT assets, specialising in electronic waste recycling and providing full turnkey IT recycling solutions. The company offers clients the following services:

• IT asset disposal – This service is instrumental in the responsible disposal of electronic waste and the preservation of our environment.

• IT scrap recovery and safe disposal – Providing secure and environmentally sound computer recycling, ITAD is certified and committed to protecting client security and the environment. When you recycle computers and electronics with ITAD, you know your e-waste is being handled responsibly.

• Data destruction – Data destruction services provide a secure way for you to recycle unwanted computers and electronics without worrying about data being left behind on your old devices.

“We work with both the government and private sector, tailoring our service to best serve each client’s needs. Our commitment is to develop and adhere to best-in-class processes from the point of pick-up through to final disposition, which keeps the company at the forefront of industry developments and improvements. We ensure that you have a complete audit trail of the activities – from collection point to refurbishment, recycling and data destruction,” says Mahlangu.

Clients receive a full inventory of their items together with a value recovery and recycling report and, if applicable, a certificate of destruction.

“If the device is beyond economic repair, ITAD AFRICA properly recycles it in compliance with the zero-disposal landfill policy as gazetted by the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. We aim to create sustainable solutions and strongly believe in aligning our services to the circular economy,” says Mahlangu.

Technology

As of August 2021, all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are prohibited from being disposed of at landfills in South Africa. Mahlangu asserts that although this is big step in directing the accountability where it needs to go – i.e. the producer – this needs to go beyond money.

“We need to focus on getting the right technology and develop the necessary programmes to ensure that the funds are used effectively and to the benefit of the sector and environment.”

Collaboration and community

Geared towards accelerated IT adoption and the alleviation of socio-economic challenges in previously marginalised communities, ITAD strongly believes in working together with the youth and women to help empower them.

“Our biggest goal is to reuse IT assets in such a way that they can be put back into the market and essentially help with the advancement of underserved markets. That is why we will also be launching our ITAD store, where we will sell preowned IT equipment at discounted rates for students, NGOs, as well as woman- and youth-owned businesses and farming operations.”

For more information on ITAD AFRICA, visit their website on www.itad.africa or email info@itad.africa.