Sage Sustainable Electronics has announced the opening of its Electronics Repurposing Center in Columbus, OH.

Sage’s mission is to make the world more sustainable by creating longer life for used electronics, said Jill Vaské, president, Sage. “We work with businesses of every size to find new life and greater value for their old IT equipment. And we guarantee their confidential information is safe in the process.”

Sage founders Vaské and Robert Houghton have assembled a team of technology asset management veterans to reinvent the process of secure collection and refurbishment of used electronic devices. “The typical electronics disposition (ITAD) company recycles a large percentage of everything they receive,” Houghton stated. “We have created innovative systems that eliminate much of that waste with the financial and sustainability gains going right back to our customer.”

Sage raised eyebrows in 2014 with its blog “We don’t like to recycle.” The company does offer recycling services, but considers recycling a last resort after all avenues for reuse are exhausted, and will be certified to the e-Stewards Standard of certification for electronics recyclers.

“It’s much more sustainable to extend electronics lifecycles and defer recycling as long as possible,” said Vaské. “Almost every business has a closet or storeroom full of idle IT equipment that can be put to good use.” Sage accepts all types of technology for repurposing, including computers, phones and tablets, and data center equipment – in short, everything managed by a typical corporate IT department.

Sage works directly with corporate clients, and also provides its services in partnership with IT contractors, systems integrators, and resellers, Vaské noted.

The Columbus facility will be followed closely by the opening of Repurposing Centers in Reno, NV, and Baltimore, MD. The company plans additional centers during the second half of 2015.