I've talked about environmentally sound Purchasing policies before in this blog. You may even remember our guest blogger Scot Case and his contribution.
Today, I want to discuss what happens on the other end of the Purchasing cycle - when Sourcing is responsible for disposing of/recycling used electronic goods.
The first debate is whether or not the Purchasing Department should have anything to do with this part of the life cycle of a product. Does yours? The Procurement Departments I have worked in and with were in fact responsible. It seems to me that it would be a more natural fit for the folks responsible for waste management and removal. Purchasing might help find firms to deal with the recycling, but the day to day management should not reside in Purchasing.
That won't help you if your company has let things evolve in such a way that Sourcing is in charge. It becomes more than just a recycling issue, it becomes a legal issue. If you deal with this at your company, you should read this article from the Austin Business Journal.
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