Planning for the eventual end-of-life management of electronic products generally takes a backseat to performance and price considerations when making purchasing decisions. Fortunately there are resources available to provide guidance on environmentally preferred procurement practices.

The first step in reducing electronic waste takes place before the equipment is even purchased. When deciding to purchase equipment, it is important to consider a number of factors that can impact the recyclability and efficiency of the equipment. Besides the equipment itself, the packaging the product arrives in also needs to be managed. Cardboard, plastic, and foamed polystyrene or polyurethane are common packaging materials. Some customers arrange with the product suppliers to take back the packaging while others arrange for these materials to be recycled.