Healthcare E-Waste Challenges
The healthcare industry has made great advancements and improvements when it comes to providing the care we need. With these advancements comes the need to update the technology they use each day. These advancements further the need to defend against identity theft while disposing of materials properly.
Healthcare E-Waste and Hazardous Components
Due to short life spans and changes in technology, healthcare electronic equipment, consumer electronics, and obsolete computers make up the largest portion of e-waste.
Computers, monitors, CRTs, LCD monitors/TVs contain types of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, even chlorinated plastics. When these obsolete components are improperly discarded, they inevitably become toxic e-waste. The side effects of dangerous materials are astounding, especially when considering many of these toxins can make their way into surrounding areas which leads to water and land contamination.
HIPAA Compliance and Recycling Regulations
There are numerous laws and regulations to comply with when it comes to the healthcare system, protecting the patient’s information and proper data destruction. One such law to be mindful of is HIPAA, which protects the identity, insurance information, and many other aspects of patients’ personal information. With technological advancements and the push for many healthcare offices to go paperless, the increase for digital storage and digital access points increases. This makes protecting pertinent information even more critical. To maintain the integrity and ensure total protection, ProTek Recycling adheres to HIPAA computer recycling and data destruction. Our efforts and data destruction processes help to diminish the concern for medical identity theft.
As a NYS registered electronic waste collection and recycling firm (DEC # 00838) we are dedicated to the efficient, environmentally-conscious, and permanent destruction of personally identifiable data. Our efforts ensure that any end-of-life material which could be hazardous to the environment and surrounding community is given to R2 certified companies. This helps to further maintain our zero-landfill policy for any electronic material. The combination of our e-waste recycling experience and our strict adherence to laws and regulations helps to give healthcare facilities peace of mind when the time comes to recycle their unwanted electronic materials. To learn more about our complete data destruction processes, or to schedule a pickup, contact us today!