ERI’s box program sees pandemic-related growth

ERI, an information technology (IT) and electronics asset disposition provider with headquarters in Fresno, California, says its box program saw a dramatic spike in demand at the start of the pandemic and has experience steady growth since.

“Since the start of the pandemic, our box program growth has increased exponentially,” says John Shegerian, ERI chairman and CEO. “We have seen more than 500 percent growth when comparing the monthly volume today to the monthly volume the program was doing before March of 2020.”  

ERI’s home and business electronics recycling box program offers National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), R2 (Responsible Recycling) and e-Stewards certified recycling and data destruction services to individuals and businesses countrywide. The company says the program provides contactless, transparent pickup and delivery of unwanted electronics for responsible recycling and secure data destruction.

“We’ve been providing our box program since 2012, so the infrastructure was already in place when the COVID pandemic hit,” Shegerian says. “With so many businesses and individuals seeking fast, convenient and contactless ways to recycle their electronics responsibly while also securely destroying their private data, our program saw an enormous growth surge in early 2000. The growth has continued. With so many people working at home offices or remote locations now on a permanent basis, every company is faced with unique challenges when it comes to the responsible and data-secure disposition of IT and electronic assets.”

He adds, “While we do see customers of all kinds, the vast majority of the customers for the box program is made up of businesses—both large and small. What’s most typical is large businesses with regional or remote offices or that have employees that are doing work-from-home.”  

The electronics mail-back program is available with an array of different box types and sizes, each with serialization options. Labels, sealing tape and freight to and from each customer’s location to the nearest ERI processing facility are included in the flat rate for the boxes.

The boxes are shipped flat directly to the customer with an included return label. Customers can then assemble, fill and return the boxes at their convenience by calling ERI’s logistics partner, UPS.

Electronics and IT assets, batteries and lamps can be returned using the service, and boxes can be purchased from ERI’s Online Store.