New book by industry veteran Steven Napoli reveals what business leaders should do when retiring IT equipment

New book by electronics industry veteran Steven Napoli reveals what every business leader should know before handing over retired IT equipment.

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Every year, businesses retire millions of computers, servers, smartphones, and other electronic devices. But what happens after that equipment leaves their facilities? Where does the data go? Who assumes responsibility? And how much financial value is being left behind?

These questions are at the heart of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺: 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘛, a forthcoming book by Steven Napoli, founder and former CEO of TERRA (The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance).

Drawing on more than seven years leading an international network of certified electronics reuse and recycling providers, Napoli examines a frequently overlooked business risk: retiring technology doesn’t necessarily retire the responsibility that comes with it.

The consequences can be substantial. In documented cases, failures involving retired electronics have contributed to multimillion-dollar regulatory penalties, exposed sensitive information, and created significant environmental liabilities.

Yet proper electronics lifecycle management isn’t simply about avoiding costly mistakes. It’s also about recovering value, extending the useful life of technology, and making informed decisions that benefit both businesses and the environment.

“Most organizations have well-established procedures for purchasing and protecting technology, but far fewer apply that same discipline when it’s time to retire it,” says Napoli. “The real question isn’t how to get rid of old equipment. It’s what should happen next, and how do you know it happened?”

𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸

At the center of The Afterlife of Technology is a practical framework built around seven criteria for evaluating electronics lifecycle partners: 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀.

Together, they help business leaders look beyond sales promises, understand the risks associated with retired equipment, and make better decisions about data security, responsible reuse, recycling, and asset recovery.

The book draws on documented industry failures, real-world business challenges, and Napoli’s experience working with electronics recyclers, technology companies, and sustainability professionals.

It also challenges the assumption that recycling is always the best outcome. Equipment that has outlived its usefulness to one organization may still hold significant value to another.

“The best outcome isn’t always destruction or recycling,” Napoli explains. “Sometimes it’s giving technology a responsible second life. But that decision must begin with protecting data, understanding the equipment’s value, and choosing the right partners.”

𝗔 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹

Written for CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, procurement executives, IT professionals, and sustainability leaders, The Afterlife of Technology offers a straightforward approach to an increasingly important business responsibility.

Rather than telling readers which provider to hire, Napoli shows them how to ask better questions, evaluate competing claims, and recognize the difference between a promise and proof.

His central message is simple: Outsourcing the work doesn’t eliminate the need for oversight.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶

Steven Napoli is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and advocate for responsible electronics lifecycle management. In 2019, he founded TERRA, The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance, to promote independently certified electronics reuse and recycling and help businesses make more informed decisions about retired technology.

Over seven years, Napoli worked with industry leaders, certified service providers, manufacturers, and sustainability professionals to advance data security, environmental responsibility, and the circular economy.

The Afterlife of Technology brings those experiences together in a practical guide for organizations seeking to protect their interests while maximizing the responsible value of retired technology.

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺: 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘛 is scheduled for future publication. The release date and availability will be announced separately.

Steven Napoli
Author
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