The Circular Future - Advancing Business Circularity
Welcome to the Circular Future – a podcast that facetimes you with the challenges of e-waste and its impact on the world. Join Stephanie McLarty, Head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, as she interviews industry thinktanks who share their insights on the trends in reuse and recycling of technology. This podcast is for you if you are responsible for managing your company’s electronics or are simply curious about all things e-waste, sustainability, carbon emissions, data security and more. Each episode finishes with actionable advice for business managers and leaders to do their part in helping build a circular future.
The Circular Future - Advancing Business Circularity
54. Turning Old Tech into New Impact
What if your junk drawer is quietly holding cash, critical minerals, and a few nagging data risks? We sit down with Stephanie McLarty, Head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, to map a simple, secure path from clutter to circularity. From reducing impulse upgrades to choosing certified recycling, this conversation turns good intentions into easy wins you can apply today.
We dig into the environmental stakes—toxins in landfills, lithium-linked fire risks, and the high emissions cost of new manufacturing—and show how reuse and responsible recycling conserve resources while supporting digital equity. Stephanie explains why only 22% of electronics get formally recycled, how “electronic hibernation” traps value in closets, and which habits actually cut your bill: shutting laptops down, flipping power bars off, and stretching refresh cycles. For anyone nervous about privacy, she breaks down DIY wiping versus certified data sanitization, the R2v3 standard, and what to expect from trusted providers so your information stays yours.
If budget matters, you’ll learn how refurbished devices deliver like-new performance at 30–70% less, what warranties and certifications to look for, and when it makes sense to repair instead of replace. We wrap with a practical toolkit: inventory your tech, flag data-bearing devices, use verified dropoffs, and set a clear cutoff for “just-in-case” backups. Small moves add up fast when they’re convenient, safe, and aligned with how nature works—no waste, just value in the right place.
If this helped you take one step toward a cleaner tech life, follow the show, share it with a friend who hoards cables, and leave a quick review to tell us which device you’re retiring first.
Thanks for tuning in to The Circular Future. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Interested in joining us as a guest? Reach out to Sanjay Trivedi at strivedi@quantumlifecycle.com.
Listen to more episodes at https://quantumlifecycle.com/podcast, and stay connected with us on LinkedIn.
If there was a toolkit for circular tech habits, what would it look like? Welcome to the Circular Future, showcasing stories of circularity that reshape how businesses operate and how you can do it in your organization too. I'm your host, Stephanie McLarty, head of sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, your trusted partner in electronics circularity. Today we're covering how smart tech habits, even small moves, add up to big impact for circularity. But today's episode is a little different. We're featuring a live interview from the TV show Empowered with Elizabeth Nomovsky, which originally aired on the news forum. It's a perfect primer on why it matters to tackle that drunk drawer or storage room full of old tech, which, by the way, may be quietly holding cash, critical minerals, and data risks. And here's another twist. This time I'm in the hot seat with Elizabeth asking me the questions. You'll hear my personal story of founding Reficient, which was later acquired by Quantum, plus lessons we've learned along the way at Quantum about turning clutter into circular value. Let's dive into the interview after this short message. Apparently, only sustainability pros read sustainability reports. Well, consider this your invitation to crash the party. At QuantumLifecycle.com slash sustainability.
SPEAKER_01:Why reuse and recycle? Because every item saved protects our planet's resources, cuts pollution, and also saves on our budget. When getting rid of old devices, are you worried about your data? We'll find out how to wipe personal information before recycling to stay safe. And we'll also discuss where to take electronics to dispose of them and balance new technology with less e-waste. This means repairing, reusing, and making smart upgrades. So tomorrow's innovations won't cost the earth or your wallet. So let's make every action count. Today I'm joined by Stephanie McClerti, Head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifestyle Partners. And she's here with me. How are you, Stephanie?
SPEAKER_02:I'm great, Liz. Thank you so much for having me here.
SPEAKER_01:I am so excited to talk to you because I want you to explain to everybody what do you do and what inspired you to do it?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, Liz, I didn't expect to end up in the electronics recycling space. I basically followed open doors and it started out in my 20s for a summer job. I worked at a major telecom company wearing steel-toed boots, and I went out to the old network sites physically pulling the old equipment and figuring out what to do with it. And that led into the realization that even though that telecom company didn't really want to deal with that e-waste, they wanted to maintain and upgrade their networks. There were other companies that wanted it. And so I started my own company, ran that for many years. And then we were acquired by Quantum Life Cycle Partners in 2022. So now I'm head of sustainability at Quantum. We are the largest electronics recycler and reuse company in Canada. And we basically figure out what to do with your old equipment.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, I love it. I just want to step back for a moment because you said you were wearing steel still toe boots.
SPEAKER_02:I was.
SPEAKER_01:I did too. Did you? When I was younger, yes. I wore them in high school. And then I wore them when I first started working in television broadcasting, pulling cables and carrying really heavy stuff. So it's so funny because I never thought about that until you just mentioned it. Wow.
SPEAKER_02:And isn't it amazing how it really informs you at a different level, having done the actual work yourself? Um, so I'm really blessed. And I'm I'm also blessed now to not have to wear them so often.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, I actually prefer stiletto. So let's just walk away from those, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yes, totally.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so let's just go back to basics. Why is it important to reuse and recycle?
SPEAKER_02:There are many reasons why it's important to reuse and recycle environmentally, socially, financially. Environmentally, when you think about items, especially electronics, have toxins in them. So if it ends up in landfill, those toxins can leach into our soils and our water systems. And also from an emission standpoint, it takes a lot of greenhouse gas emissions to manufacture something, to pull the materials out of the earth, manufacture into a product. So environmentally, it makes the most sense. Also, socially, if you can donate an item, then it contributes to what's called digital equity, basically ensuring access to technology for everyone. And then financially, too, what we see is, especially for electronics, it helps organizations to make money back through the recovery of commodities or the remarketing of assets. It also helps them to save money. I know you're all about frugality.
SPEAKER_01:I'm all about making frugality fashionable.
SPEAKER_02:It is very fashionable in the electronics recycling space. Um, because basically you're helping companies to save money or to make money on the flip side as well.
SPEAKER_01:So, what is electronic waste and why is it particularly bad? Because I see all of these um electric bicycles now and scooters, and they all have these crazy batteries with a lot of lithium and and everything else inside there. So explain it to me, please.
SPEAKER_02:You're absolutely right. There's so much now that is smart that there is batteries or circuit boards embedded in it. And so if that ends up in the landfill, then the lithium, for example, can get out into the soil or the water. But also there's a risk around fires as well if they're not managed properly. So that's why it's important that if you do not need your electronics any longer to then move it to the next appropriate step.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so when we come back, we're going to discuss more about why this is so important, not only for the environment, your household, but for your wallet as well. So don't go away. We will be right back with more Stephanie's tips because this is really important for all of us to understand and to actually implement into our lives.
SPEAKER_00:I'm Elizabeth Nomovsky.
SPEAKER_01:Today we're discussing planet positive practices for work and life. So, Stephanie, are we good at recycling? Because I feel that I'm a really good citizen because I keep filling up that blue bin.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, unfortunately as a whole, we're not great at recycling.
SPEAKER_01:How so?
SPEAKER_02:So, on from an electronic standpoint, only about 22% of electronics are actually formally recycled globally. A lot sit in closets and drawers, and that's called electronic hibernation. Oh. And it's something that we need to address as we move forward, and we need to get the critical minerals out of our dormant devices. But also, on a blue box perspective, it is great to do the right thing. You know, put your cans and your plastics where they need to go. Um, it doesn't always end up at recycling, depending on the recycling infrastructure of municipalities, but we're seeing that really change and new rules are coming out and a new system as of January 2026.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's a new system coming in, I think, for every different municipalities, different provinces, and everything else. So is there a truth to reduce, reuse, recycle being in that order?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we learn about this concept of reduce, reuse, recycle in school, right? And it is a simple concept that people can wrap their heads around. It actually does have a lot of truth to it. May not be perfect, but it does have truth. Why? Because you should start on the reduce level. Reduce your need for items. You know, think twice about do you really need to buy something new? And that saves your wallet as well. It does save your wallet, absolutely. Also look at reducing your impact. So it could be in terms of devices, unplugging them at night so they don't trickle the energy. And what's so interesting, Liz, is that in nature, there is no waste. Everything is reused and recycled. So when we think about eliminating waste through reduction, that's really the best outcome. Next, best is reuse. Reuse of full devices, reuse of parts of it is also really good because we're avoiding the emissions of new manufacturing. And then like the last step, which is an important piece of the puzzle, is recycling. And that means that we can like break it down and reuse the actual commodities within. It can be energy intensive to do so. It is a great practice, but it really should come after reuse and after reduce.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, before I go to my next question, I need to ask, because you said unplug. So a lot of people just plug in their cell phones all night so that they are at a hundred, but that's not good for your cell phone either.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, especially for charging your cell phone battery, there's an optimal window. But it's even things like your laptop, for example, if it's fully charged to make sure it's shut down at night. And I'm not perfect, Liz. You can ask my husband. But but really, you know, turn your laptop off and even turn your power bars off so it doesn't trickle, use the trickle energy, which while it seems small, it really adds up over time.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay. Well, that's good to know. So let's go back to recycling. What stops people from recycling and doing the right thing?
SPEAKER_02:There's really, I believe, two key challenges that both people face on an individual level as well as businesses. One is simply the awareness of what to do with it. Like, where do you take it? Where does it go? Especially, you know, when you have uh a can or a plastic, like is this type of plastic recyclable here? It's it's confusing. Yeah. Right. So so the awareness of knowing what to do. The second piece is convenience. See, a lot of people want to do the right thing, but they don't want to be inconvenienced.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So we have to design solutions that encourage people, like get them educated, but also make it convenient for them to do the right thing.
SPEAKER_01:I think I think you're 100% correct because if it's inconvenient and I have to drive two hours to do something, I I can think of better things to do with two hours rather than spend it in the car each way. Um, but when I look at doing the right thing, sometimes people just don't know what to do. Yes. And so they they do nothing. And they think that doing nothing is the right thing.
SPEAKER_02:And I think one of the key things that people really need to get is you need to start somewhere. Like do something. Do one thing that is a planet-friendly practice, one thing that's different, that's new. October is circular economy month, so it's a perfect time to like look at recycling and circularity, what you can do for that.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, well, this is great because when we come back, we're gonna talk about what to do with our phones, like where to take them and how to clean them up so that um we protect ourselves with a lot of our private information, which is really, really important. So please don't go away. We'll be right back for more. How do I get started with my old electronics that are at home and at work? What do I do?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, I spoke about this electronic hibernation phenomenon where things just sit in closets and drawers. There's two things to do to get started, regardless of whether you're talking about your personal or your work. One is identify what you have. Like pull them out of your drawers, pull them out of your closets. If you're a business, chances are you've got a storage room full of tech. You know, figure out what you have. There are companies that can help with that, but basically identify what you have. The second thing is then look to see which devices have personal data on them or any data that needs to be removed because those devices will need to be treated differently. And it's really important that you treat them properly.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so I have a tablet that just broke. Something happened on the right corner. What do I do to remove all of my personal data? How do I do that? And how do I do it properly?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So there are do-it-yourself solutions out there. There are basically software that you can download that will wipe the data. Um, some are free, some are paid. The other option is to use a service provider that does it. And I would always recommend to people that if there is sensitive information on these devices, I would recommend using a certified professional to wipe the data. Like don't mess around with this because this is really important. You don't want the data to get out. And it's really important to find a certified company because there are companies out there that say, oh yeah, we'll we'll do delete your data, but there's too many stories of devices ending up overseas and data being leaked because they didn't.
SPEAKER_01:I was going to say, well, what happens if I give it to somebody and they go rogue and take all my personal information and then try to blackmail me with it?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So you need to find a certified company. The certifications to look for, for example, are the responsible recycling R2 V3 certification, R2. The other one that Quantum has is the made AAA certification that basically guarantees that your data is sanitized at a certain level. And companies like Quantum have sophisticated software to wipe the data so that you can sleep at night.
SPEAKER_01:And I think that's the most important thing. Everybody wants to sleep at night. Yes. Right? Yeah. You don't want to make, I mean, we're all worried about AI right now and being duped into, you know, clicking on a phishing link or anything. Um, we want to be able to sleep at night and know that we're comfortable with what we've done and we've we've done the right thing when it comes to our electronics.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. It doesn't cost like a ton, but these are these are that's a wise investment for your own peace of mind.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So, okay, so now I've wiped my tablet. Uh, there's absolutely no more personal information on there. Now what do I do? Where do I go?
SPEAKER_02:So there's uh a couple of options. One is you can if you look at your local municipality, because they often have recycling at the local transfer stations. Another one is to, if you go on Quantum's website, for example, there's a residential drop-off button and it you can search by your address and it will give you all the drop-off sites around you. So basically get it to the next location that is certified and that you can be rest assured that they're going to need to deal with it properly.
SPEAKER_01:So, you know, a lot of times I see, you know, cell phones are really expensive, tablets are really expensive, and then you go online and you see a refurbished item. So what does that mean? And, you know, I don't have a lot of money, so I I think refurbished works for me. Does it or doesn't it?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's a great question. So refurbished means that it is a device that's pre-owned, that is has been basically refurbished, um, repaired as necessary back up to like new standards. And it is a wonderful solution. I actually bought an iPad a few months ago, and it is like new. And that's the thing. You can get devices that are a fraction of the cost. You can save usually 30 to 70% off the retail price because it is refurbished. My advice around refurbished is to choose a company that has good reviews, that has certifications, look into the warranty of the device so that you can be rest assured that whatever you're getting is what they say it is, and that if there's any issue, which there typically isn't, but you can reach out to the company.
SPEAKER_01:So before we go to break, five seconds, who refurbishes them?
SPEAKER_02:Well, Quantum does. Um, QNOVum is a good site. That's fine.
SPEAKER_01:All right. So please don't go away. We'll be right back. And I'm joined by Stephanie McClerty. She's the head of sustainability at Quantum Life Cycle Partners. Okay, Stephanie, last segment. So we've got a lot to put in here, right? Absolutely. So let's go thought provoking now.
SPEAKER_00:All right.
SPEAKER_01:How do you balance the need for new technology with the goal of reducing your e-waste?
SPEAKER_02:Liz, I think this is a really important question of our times, right? We want to move forward, but how do we do that in a way that is responsible and that honors the planet? So one of the key things really is to ask the question do I really need this device? Like determine if this is a need or a want. There might be some cases where it is a need, fine. But in a lot of cases, it's a want. Well, in that case, you know, maybe it's appropriate to step back and think, well, maybe I won't buy a new device every year, you know, maybe it's every other year, every three years to really upgrade. So really try that on personally of like, do I really need this device? The second piece of it is then, if you do choose to upgrade, then make sure that your old device, you know, is properly reused, recycled, that it goes into the right channels and it just doesn't just sit in a drawer.
SPEAKER_01:So, okay, let's what if I just bought a new phone, like right now today, but I want to keep my old phone just in case this one falls into the water or something happens to it, I drop it, it it gets it's broken, smashed to pieces. Isn't it smart to keep my old one in my drawer just in case I use it? Or sorry, in case I need it.
SPEAKER_02:In case you need it. Well, you know, it does happen that devices get broken. Um, but a lot of them can be fixed pretty quickly as well. It might be okay to keep your phone for a certain period of time if if that actually helps you to sleep at night, fine. But there is a thing called cluttered garage syndrome, where we think we're gonna need something and we just shove it into the garage until it becomes too cluttered.
SPEAKER_01:Not my garage.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, no, yeah, I didn't think so. So, what I would suggest in that case is sure, keep it, but give yourself a time frame because after a certain period of time, you're not gonna go back to that phone anyways. You would, if your phone breaks, if it can't be repaired, you would get a new one. So, like give yourself a cutoff and make a note in your calendar.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, well, that's good. So, how do you encourage coworkers or other community members to adopt better recycling?
SPEAKER_02:I think the the overwhelm around recycling and what to do, the lack of awareness is so real. So, one of the best things to do is to not tackle everything at once, but instead choose one area. Start somewhere, choose that one area, really you know, educate others and you know, perhaps build a collection event or some kind of activity, maybe do cleanup of that one thing so that people get buy-in and that they understand, you know, the impact of it. The other thing that I really suggest is when you're choosing that one thing, is to think about an area where there's a payoff for something else. So on a personal level, maybe maybe you're dealing with, like maybe it's the phone that's in your drawer. It's like, okay, I'm giving myself this amount of time and then I'm gonna deal with it. On uh a work level, maybe it's I've got a storage room full of tech. I need to deal with that, and when I do, I'm gonna have peace of mind. There's gonna be the payoff of peace of mind. So choose that thing where there's also an additional payoff if possible.
SPEAKER_01:So we have less than a minute left, about 45 seconds. If you could change one thing about how society handles waste, what would it be?
SPEAKER_02:I think if I could change one thing, it would be that we view waste differently. That it is not some externality that we can just discard, but really coming back to nature, where everything is reused and recycled. There is no waste, that we really start thinking a lot more broadly on, you know, just because this one thing or one item isn't needed anymore here, that there could be another productive use for it. And also in that lens to like to buy less, you know, take the opportunity to consume less and live better at the same time.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much, Stephanie.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Stephanie says make a commitment by the end of the month to do one thing, such as clear out your drawer or closet of old electronics and make sure to delete all of your data. I'm Elizabeth Nomovsky, and I'm here to empower you and make frugality fashionable. Thank you so much for watching. Bye for now.
SPEAKER_02:And remember, if you're looking for a partner to help you repair, reuse, and recycle your electronics, we'd love to chat. Head on over to QuantumLifecycle.com and contact us. This is a Quantum Lifecycle Podcast, and the producer is Sanjay Trevetti. Thank you for being a circular future champion in your company and beyond.
