When Corey Dehmey worked in corporate IT departments, he had to figure out what to do with hundreds of company computers that were no longer up to date. Now, as executive director of non-profit Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), he is part of a group trying to tackle the e-waste crisis by bolstering cooperation between the government, private sector and consumers.

"E-waste is the result of not planning for the product throughout its lifecycle," Dehmey said. "We're just reacting to a problem we created years ago. And so if we want to get in front of this thing, we have to think about these things on the front end -- what we're designing and what we as consumers are purchasing as well."

To do that, SERI introduced and oversees its own certification standards for e-waste recycling that makes sure facilities are properly disposing of e-waste. It also hosts events for businesses and other stakeholders and engages in advocacy work to pressure companies and governments to take more sustainable approaches to developing electronics.

"We've got to figure out ways to use [an electronic device] longer, repair it, reuse it," Dehmey said, noting this will require mindset shifts from both consumers and companies.

When Corey Dehmey worked in corporate IT departments, he had to figure out what to do with hundreds of company computers that were no longer up to date. Now, as executive director of non-profit Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), he is part of a group trying to tackle the e-waste crisis by bolstering cooperation between the government, private sector and consumers.

"E-waste is the result of not planning for the product throughout its lifecycle," Dehmey said. "We're just reacting to a problem we created years ago. And so if we want to get in front of this thing, we have to think about these things on the front end -- what we're designing and what we as consumers are purchasing as well."

To do that, SERI introduced and oversees its own certification standards for e-waste recycling that makes sure facilities are properly disposing of e-waste. It also hosts events for businesses and other stakeholders and engages in advocacy work to pressure companies and governments to take more sustainable approaches to developing electronics.

"We've got to figure out ways to use [an electronic device] longer, repair it, reuse it," Dehmey said, noting this will require mindset shifts from both consumers and companies.