2024 Impact and Growth Report by s3recycling

2024 Impact and Growth Report

Maximizing Security, Sustainability, and Stewardship Through Tech and Biomed Recycling

Hassle-Free IT & Biomed Disposal Solutions

S3 Recycling Solutions’ 2024 Impact and Growth Report is presented to all stakeholders, and demonstrates the driving force behind our operational strategy and organizational behavior. Our credibility and commitment to address global e-waste matters continue to progress and be recognized on the national stage.

A Message from the CEO

One of my goals at S3 is to be a CEO that is focused on culture. I’m proud to report that throughout our sustained growth and expansion trajectory in 2024, we maintained an environment where employees were valued first – and profits came second.

Our commitment to culture and corporate citizenship was recognized by multiple organizations. For the first time, we won Culture of Good’s 2024 Community Impact Award. This recognition celebrates companies that use their businesses as a force for positive change in the world, exemplify excellence in corporate citizenship, and embody the values of community service, compassion, generosity, and purpose-driven leadership. The Nashville Business Journal also recognized S3 as being a Best Place to Work in 2024.

On the West Coast, the Orange County Business Journal in California included S3 on its 2024 list of Leaders in Sustainability, highlighting our success at being a socially conscious organization. The list featured companies that are committed to environmental stewardship, long-term economic growth, social equity and enhancing community engagement.

These culture-centered awards were a constant backdrop to our main core competencies of IT asset disposition and medical equipment disposal. Our mission to deliver environmental solutions in 2024 was also a success. We processed more than 5.2M pounds of electronics and technology devices, and our activities prevented more than 23,484 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere.

We were named to the 2024 Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for a fourth consecutive year. And, we continued to help our clients meet their sustainability goals, processing their excess devices at R2v3 and e-Steward certified facilities.

It is my honor to be a part of an amazing team of talented technology and business professionals who are emerging as a reliable leader in electronics recycling. And I’m excited for the opportunity to continue my role as a culture cultivator.

Rod McDaniel, CEO

S3 Recycling Solutions

Core Values

We’re committed to Character, Culture and Community. We’re proud of the work we do and how it gets done.

Sustainability

We are doing our part to protect the environment from harm with trustworthy and secure processes. Businesses across all industries depend on S3 to properly dispose of e-waste.

Integrity

E-recycling is an inherently private business, and integrity is vital to building authentic client relationships. We maintain transparency in our commitment to protect client data.

Dependability

Our clients trust us to always handle their e-waste securely and efficiently. We maintain the highest professional, technical, and environmental standards in the e-waste industry.

Community

Serving the broader community is an immovable component of our business. We are eager to give back to local, national and international communities and expand our capacity to do so.

Core Competencies

Our vision is to combat our planet’s e-waste epidemic by employing both environmentally and financially responsible processes for a stronger, safer global community.

Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD)

S3 creates client-specific e-waste solutions to help organizations dispose of surplus equipment in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Data Destruction

As a member of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), S3 sanitizes or completely destroys all media in accordance with NIST guidelines, and provides each client with a certificate of destruction.

Logistics

S3 securely transports e-waste materials throughout the country with efficient logistics solutions. Our trucks are secured with GPS tracking, and our Over The Road drivers have decades of long-haul experience.

Medical Equipment Disposal

S3’s medical equipment disposal processes and procedures are fully Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) compliant, as we serve many of the largest healthcare companies in the nation.

End-of-Life Electronics

Recycling

Equipment that has no resale value, is antiquated or beyond repair is demanufactured in accordance to local, state and federal laws and regulations. S3 has a zero-landfill policy on all electronic equipment we acquire.

Data Security

S3 makes it a priority to protect clients’ data and interests. We use various security controls for unwiped or undestroyed data storage devices, including physical security, monitoring, chain-of-custody, and personnel qualifications.

The S3 Six-Step Recycling Process

STEP 1 | Receive

The S3 staff coordinates all logistics to schedule pickups from our clients. Material is transported to our secure facility via S3 trucks or by freight, both of which are equipped with padlock security and GPS tracking.

STEP 2 | Deidentify, Sort, Data Destruction and Process

All devices received by S3 are de-identified; any asset tags are removed and are sent back to the customer upon request. Items that have resale value are tested, where we perform light refurbishing. Items that do not have resale value are sent downstream for further recycling by an R2-certified partner. All material is processed in the continental U.S., and S3 and its downstream partners have a zero-landfill policy on electronic devices. S3 sanitizes or completely destroys all media with data in accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Guidelines for Media Sanitization, and provides a certificate of destruction to every customer as proof of successful erasure and non-recoverability.

STEP 3 | Test

All items are tested for power and basic functionality. If an item doesn’t meet our basic testing standards, then items are demanufactured and sent downstream for further recycling using a R2-certified partner.

STEP 4 | Remarket/Resale

Remarketed items are given a second life by our in-house light refurbishing process. Items are assessed a value and marketed through our various selling channels. Reuse is the truest form of recycling.

STEP 5 | Storage Environment

All material is stored at S3’s secure facility. Accessibility to the office, warehouse and data security areas vary based on job responsibility. All devices that contain data are stored in our data security area. Other items are palletized, wrapped, and stored with customer ID until further processed. S3’s facility is monitored with numerous security cameras to the exterior and interior 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Recordings are made from all cameras and retained for a period of 90 days.

STEP 6 | End-of-Life Material

All devices that do not meet our testing standards are sent downstream to a R2-certified partner in the U.S. for further processing. All commodities are recycled and/or smelted for use in new devices.

All material is processed in the continental U.S., and S3 and its downstream partners have a zero-landfill policy on electronic devices.

S3 Recycling Solutions

Client Locations

S3 Recycling Solutions

Facilities

• S3 Facilities: 3

• Countries Served: 3

• Client Count: 454

• North American Client Locations: 1,503 in 43 states

Service Areas Across North America

Scan this code for locations not pictured

Emissions Reduction

The need for sustainable and responsible environmental solutions is becoming increasingly critical in a world of ceaseless demands and limited resources. Businesses who partner with S3 to dispose of their excess electronics and biomedical technology can have the peace of mind that their devices are being responsibly, securely, and ethically managed. Combating the global e-waste problem and overall carbon footprint reduction are positive byproducts of S3’s services.

In 2024, we processed more than 5.2M pounds of electronics and technology devices, and our activities prevented more than 23,484 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere.

In 2024, S3 Recycling Solutions processed 5.2M pounds of electronics and technology devices.

This is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions avoided from:

260,142,287 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle

35,317 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled

4,418,069 trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled

2,402,339 incandescent lamps switched to LEDs

This is equivalent to CO2 emissions from:

11,445,339 gallons of gasoline consumed

13,264 homes’ energy use for one year

6,714,869,067 smartphones charged

20,074 homes’ electricity use for one year

Certifications

We are committed to continuous improvement and positioning ourselves as a leader in information technology asset disposition and biomedical equipment disposal. Making investments in our processes not only benefits our customers, but it is also simply the right thing to do. The rigorous requirements of the certifications that we attain increase our organizational maturity and allow us to better serve our clients across North America.

S3’s Tennessee facility is R2v3 certified which requires increased emphasis on reuse and protecting data, strengthened data security controls and enhanced controls for test, repair, and reuse operations to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the operations. S3 also has ISO 9001 certification for a quality management system, ISO 14001 certification for systematically managing its responsibilities in a way that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability, and ISO 45001 certification for an occupational health and safety management system, to enable a safe and healthy workplace. S3 also holds DOTMed and Minority Business Enterprise certifications.

Awards and Culture

"If you build the right culture, then people will feel safe enough to pursue their wildest dreams."

Rod McDaniel, CEO, S3 Recycling Solutions

Having a strong company culture is the foundation of our business. When people feel appreciated and valued, their morale increases, they are more invested in the organization, and they are proud to call S3 their workplace.

We have been named a Best Place to Work numerous times, we have ranked on the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years, and we most recently were named a Culture of Good Community Impact Award winner. Other awards won by members of the S3 team in 2024 include: Nashville Business Journal Most Admired CEO, Darrell S. Freeman Sr. Award from the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and Nashville 30 under 30.

Excellent customer service is a natural byproduct of maintaining a work environment that empowers our team to always be their best.

Check out a few big wins from 2024

Charitable Contributions

S3’s contributions to charitable organizations are our way of putting our “Community” Core Value into action. In 2024, S3 donated more than 1,287 devices to organizations globally.

We also contributed resources to: Greater Nashville Technology Council STEM Program, Hurricane Helene donation drive, Matter360, Nashville Junior Chamber, Public Education Needs Community Involvement and Leadership (PENCIL), Raphah Institute, Ronald McDonald House Orange County, Springfield Tourism/YMCA, and Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

We are grateful to be in a position to do good and make a difference in our community.

[In this photo] Members of our California and Tennessee teams completed a volunteer day at the Ronald McDonald House Orange County in California. We spent the day preparing meals and serving those in the house, which is a “home away from home” for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment.

S3’s 2024 charitable contributions totaled: $223,345

This includes cash and in-kind contributions, as well as desktop, laptop, and tablet donations.

The S3 Team

Increased demand for data security, e-waste solutions, and electronics recycling across the nation continues to drive the need for IT asset disposition services. We are preparing our workforce for the jobs of the future by providing them with professional development training, internal mentorship and support.

S3 pays for employees to get certifications in their areas of expertise and attend conferences to increase their knowledge in their fields. We also encourage our team to join industry and community organizations where they can stay abreast of the latest trends and develop leadership skills.

Our growth and leadership in the electronics recycling industry has made it an attractive workplace for top tier talent. Our employee retention is bolstered by our competitive wages and benefits, and opportunities for long-term career paths.

Benefits Provided To The S3 Workforce include:

• 100 percent coverage of medical, dental, vision, and life insurance for employees

• Holiday pay and paid time off for salaried and hourly employees

• Short-term and long-term disability

• Employee Assistance Program providing help with costs for therapy and counseling

• Assistance with obtaining certifications and professional development training

• Work programs for students with Autism

One of S3’s greatest attributes is that our team is composed of professionals with a broad range of talent and perspective. S3 leadership believes in creating an organization that is a welcoming place for everyone regardless of gender, ethnic background, religious affiliation or disabilities.