By Shang Celsius, Founder, eWaste.Pro · Updated 2026-10-29
A practical IT asset disposition guide for Minnesota: state e-waste rules and recent changes, real program data, gaps, and secure recycling for businesses, schools and churches with eWaste.Pro.
Straight talk from me
Every refresh cycle leaves an organization with the same question: what do we do with the old laptops, servers, switches and phones? I founded eWaste.Pro to give companies, schools and ministries in Minnesota a clear answer that protects data, keeps them compliant and recovers value where it exists.
The rules in Minnesota
Minnesota passed its e-waste law in 2007: a manufacturer collection program for video display devices, along with a long-standing ban on CRTs in the trash. Check the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for the current requirements. State programs like these are mostly designed for households. Businesses are generally expected to arrange their own compliant recycling, and responsibility for the data on those devices stays with you.
Recent changes worth knowing
Minnesota collection is growing, and in 2024 lawmakers considered HF 3566, a plan to replace the aging program with broader coverage and free collection.
Program data
MPCA data show 19.0 million pounds of electronics collected in program year 2024, up from 16.9 million in 2023. Globally, the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR/ITU) counts a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, with less than a quarter documented as properly recycled.
Where organizations get stuck
Many residents still pay fees at drop-off sites, and the program's narrow scope has been a long-running concern.
| Gap | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| No chain of custody | Devices leave the building and nobody can prove what happened to them. |
| Drives not wiped | Customer and employee data can walk out the door. |
| Assets left in storage | Equipment loses resale value every month it sits. |
| Landfill disposal | Valuable materials are lost and hazardous ones reach the environment. |
A note for Minnesota schools
School IT departments run the largest refresh cycles in the state. The Chromebooks and laptops bought around 2020 are reaching end of support, and that means carts of devices, each with student data, leaving buildings at once. Treat it like a business decommission: inventory first, data destruction with certificates, value recovery for working units, and certified recycling for the rest. Public agencies can choose an upfront buy or a profit share of 70% of total sales with no deductions, and we hold ChoicePartners contract 25/048MF-02.
A note for Minnesota churches and pastors
Churches handle sensitive data too: member directories, giving records and counseling notes live on office computers and servers. When a church upgrades, those drives need the same care a business gives them. Pastors and administrators can also turn an upgrade into a community electronics drive, which serves neighbors and gives the congregation a visible stewardship project.
How we partner with you
- Inventory. Share a list of models, quantities and condition.
- Pickup. We schedule logistics around your team.
- Data destruction. We wipe to NIST SP 800-88 and issue a certificate of destruction. When required, we destroy hard drives onsite.
- Value recovery. Equipment with remaining value is refurbished and resold, and the return goes back to you.
- Responsible recycling. What cannot be reused is recycled under R2v3, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified processes.
Call us to talk it through
Call (888) 899-8896. Tell us what you are retiring and where. We will review it, explain the options in plain language, and propose a plan with a pickup date that fits your schedule. We serve organizations throughout Minnesota as part of our nationwide service, from a single office closet to a full data center decommission.
What happens when you call
- Discovery. We ask about sites, asset counts, data-handling policies and any compliance frameworks you report against.
- Proposal. You receive a plain-language plan covering logistics, data destruction, value recovery and documentation.
- Execution. We pick up on your schedule, process every asset, and deliver certificates of destruction and settlement reports for your files.
Whether you are retiring ten laptops or a data center, the first step is the same: a short call so we can understand what you have and propose the right fit.
Questions I hear often
Can you destroy drives at our site?
Yes. When your policy requires it, we destroy hard drives onsite, and you receive a certificate of destruction either way.
Which equipment do you take?
Laptops, desktops, servers, storage, networking gear, phones and peripherals.
Do you handle multi-site organizations in Minnesota?
Yes. We coordinate pickups across locations in Minnesota and nationwide.
Call us to talk about your e-waste
We will listen and propose a solution that fits your school, church or business. Protect your data, protect the environment, and bring value back to your organization.
Call (888) 899-8896Schedule a pickup
Shang Celsius is the founder of eWaste.Pro, an R2v3 and ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified electronics recycling and IT asset disposition company that serves schools, churches, public agencies and businesses nationwide.
Sources: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC); U.S. EPA electronics donation and recycling guide; EPA Sustainable Materials Management: Electronics; Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR/ITU). Rules change, so check with your state environmental agency.