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faq

Merit Partners

7650 Newcastle Road
Chad Shop 19/20
Stockton, CA 95215

Phone: (888) 332-6531
Fax: (209) 946-0901
Email: info@meritpartners.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Merit accept all electronic items - working or not?

Yes. Equipment that cannot be repaired or resold is sent to an approved domestic recycler.

Q: Does Merit accept non-electronic items?

We will accept items associated with electronics such as server racks or lab equipment as well as components of electronics.

Q: What is the main role of Merit ePartners?

Merit ePartners is a subsidiary of Merit Partners, a 501(c)(3) non-profit social enterprise. Merit ePartners was developed to provide electronics training and job skills for young offenders.

Q: Is Merit ePartners a recycler or an e-waste disposal company?

Merit is an approved collector for surplus electronic equipment. We refurbish and resell all equipment that has value. Equipment that cannot be reclaimed is sent to an approved electronics recycler for further disposition.

Q: What is the role of Merit Partners and Merit Research Institute in regards to Merit ePartners?

Merit Partners is an assumed business name for Merit, Incorporated which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation licensed in California and Washington. Merit ePartners and Merit Research are components of Merit Partners and each of these entities works to give training and support to young people who need it to succeed in their communities.

Q: Do people who are incarcerated do recycling?

No. Merit’s training program focuses on job skills related to electronic equipment and software. Donated equipment that must be recycled is sent to an approved electronics recycler.

 

Q: Does Merit work with community organizers like schools and other non-profits for electronic recycling?

Yes. Occasionally corporations that donate equipment have a specific community organization they want to benefit and Merit provides refurbished equipment. In other instances Merit sees a specific need and responds with equipment.

Q: What items does Merit accept for donation?

Some of the items Merit accepts include:

• test and measurement equipment
• lab equipment and components
• computers and peripherals
• miscellaneous electronics

Q: What happens to the items that are donated?

Merit uses all equipment to provide job training. Our employees prepare all equipment that can be reused as either a working unit or a component for resale. Equipment without value is sent to an approved electronics recycler.

Q: Who are Merit ePartners' recycling partners?

When needed, Merit uses an approved electronics recycler such as ECS Refining to disassemble and obtain value through environmentally responsible recycling. Merit uses asset disposition tracking software that gives a donating corporation web-based access to complete downstream reporting for donated equipment.

Q: Does Merit participate in profit sharing from refurbished and recovered electronic items?

Yes, Merit has profit sharing for equipment that has resale value. Our disposition software makes determining values a seamless and transparent part of our operation. Profit sharing checks are distributed quarterly.

Q: How does Merit determine the value of the donated items?

An agreement with the donating company specifies the terms of the donation. That information is entered into an asset disposition report along with a description or serial number of each piece of equipment donated together with the eventual disposition of that equipment. The profit-sharing value is calculated automatically and may be viewed with a secure password on the internet.

Q: What does a company need to do before their items are picked up for donation?

Call and talk to a Merit representative. When we discuss your specific needs we will develop a plan to serve you from palletizing to shipping.

Q: Are donated items tax deductible?

Merit ePartners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donated equipment is tax-deductible as determined by your accountant.

Q: Does Merit adhere to HIPAA Privacy Standards?

Yes. Merit understands and complies with the HIPAA standards for information privacy.

Q: Can I be sure no data I leave on a hard drive will be compromised?

Yes. Merit removes client identity and information - data on hard drives are eradicated in accordance with Department of Defense standard DOD 5220.22M

Q: What happens to the non-working surplus electronics that are donated?

Merit will work to repair or refurbish whenever possible. Component parts will also be recovered when their value is greater then the whole unit. When there is no value to be realized through resale, the unit will be recycled by an approved electronics recycler.

Q: We don’t have the manpower to get equipment ready to be picked up. How much of this will Merit do for us?

We can do what you need to transport you donation to Merit. Just call and speak with a Merit representative. We are happy to work with your specific needs for managing your surplus equipment.

Q: Can Merit give us a complete list of the items we have donated?

Merit uses asset disposition tracking software that gives a donating corporation secure.

Q: Why do large corporations work with Merit ePartners?

We will answer that question with quotes from corporate clients:

 

“We benefited by an estimated $50-60K cost avoidance each year (in one location).”

“Our goal has always been to ensure that electronic waste is responsibly handled. Merit has done that for us.”

“To be ISO 14001 certified in this business is impressive.”

“They provide professional logistics people for the removal operation.”

“They have complied at all times with our security requirement (background investigations, badging, etc.).”

“It has definitely been a Win-Win partnership for everybody.”

Q: What does Merit do to the refurbished computers before they are resold?

Upon arrival each shipment is weighed and inventoried. As the first step in refurbishing all data are eradicated in accordance with Department of Defense standard DOD 5220.22M. Computers receive a new operating system and are tested, repaired, and retested before being sold.

 

 

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