Recycle Your Media: Where "Going Green" Saves Money

Recycle Your Media is an international storage media recycling company based in Newport Beach, California. As a leading buyer and supplier of media storage products, Recycle Your Media offers secure data eradication to sellers and cost-effective recycled storage media to buyers. Their innovative recycling solutions help companies cut costs and reduce the environmental impact of toxic e-waste in landfills.

Brian Musil is Recycle Your Media's founder, and deals with contacts in more than 25 countries. Buying and selling data tape storage media is the core of the company's business. "We handle everything from old legacy media to the newest market products," says Musil.

Although the international economy is slumping, Recycle Your Media has seen steady growth the past year, particularly in the secure data eradication area:

"With new privacy legislation in the United States and increasing concern about corporate espionage, we've seen an increase of about 40% in our data eradication services. Our customers include law firms, banks, and other entities that deal with sensitive data. We bring the media in, eradicate the data stored on it, and then resell the storage products to other users."

Musil says he's always looking for new sources of used media, and the company's Tradeloop membership helps with that.

"I've found plenty of media through Tradeloop and use the Broadcast system for buying and selling. Whenever I do a Broadcast, I put information about the company and our services. The more dealers know about our service and products, the more business it brings to the company."

All Recycle Your Media staffers spend a lot of time educating recycling companies and users about the advantages of media recycling. The service gives companies a cost-effective way to save money and "go green" at the same time, explains Musil. "That's a win/win situation for everyone – including the environment!"

Recycle Your Media's suppliers and customers agree. "Our repeat business percentage is very high," says Musil. "We give them the chance to securely recycle their old storage media and/or buy used media for a great price."

He attributes much of the company's customer loyalty to its flexibility, buying policy, and commitment to service.

"We go the extra step every time to educate our customers and give them what they need. When a seller has used media, I don't pick and choose like some buyers. I take everything at fair market value. We offer secure data destruction, complete chain of custody, fast shipping, and pay freight charges anywhere in the world."

Tradeloop Protects Wholesale Pricing Information and Offers Flexible Marketing Options to Members

When Google crawls through Tradeloop's site, how much information does it find about your company? That's up to you. We let Tradeloop members decide how much of their part and Broadcast information gets indexed.

And, no matter what option you choose, your wholesale prices are always hidden from non-members and end users.

Only Tradeloop members can view parts lists with wholesale prices, and membership is limited to dealers whose company information has been validated by Tradeloop. You have to be logged in to view wholesale prices and dealer contact information. That requirement protects wholesale pricing data because the search engine spiders that index the site can't log in.

But, while you want to keep wholesale prices hidden from the general public, it doesn't make sense to hide retail information from search engines.

That's why we introduced the End User program. You can sell to end users at retail prices without them ever seeing your wholesale prices. Retail part and price information is always available to search engines because it helps bring new retail customers to your company.

You can also decide whether to hide your Broadcast messages from non-members by choosing either the private or public option for Broadcasts. The "Public" option, makes Broadcasts available to search engines and the general public. Keep Broadcasts "Private," and only members see the information. The Public and Private options are on the "Create a Broadcast" page in the "Select a Style" section.

Both the End User program and Broadcast options give you control over how much information is publicly available. However, there are other ways that Tradeloop membership increases your online visibility – and they have nothing to do with pricing.

· Company profile information is indexed by search engines and often appears near the top of Google search results. Learn more about creating a good, search engine-friendly company profile.
· Tradeloop's Trust Seal tells buyers that your company is actively involved in the industry and trustworthy to do business with. When a buyer clicks on the Trust Seal, the information on the certification page is about your company, not Tradeloop.

These features and options help protect the value of the wholesale market and give our members the flexibility they need to offer their products and services to a wide variety of markets and buyers.

Redesigned Header and Navigation Bar Launched at Tradeloop's Web Site

At Tradeloop, the more things change... well... the better it gets.

Our redesigned navigation header is just the latest example. You may have already noticed our header's more modern look and feel, but if not, visit the home page at Tradeloop.com to check it out. It's faster loading, easier to update, and gives our members quick access to Tradeloop Broadcasts, member information, and other services.

Over the years, we've implemented a number of different site designs as technology and user expectations changed. Courtesy of the Wayback Machine, let's take a walk through Tradeloop history and see how the site has evolved over time.

Our January 1999, looks almost primitive compared to "modern" Web sites:


In this 2000 design, we had moved to tabbed navigation using text links:


In 2001, we were using this more familiar design with "Tradeloop Blue" as the main color:


2007 featured this familiar layout with the tabbed navigation bar at the top:

This isn't a complete retrospective: Tradeloop predates the WayBack machine by several years. We launched the first Web site in 1996 and grew along with the World Wide Web, adding functionality and more sophisticated design as the technology permitted.

Each redesign required many hours of planning, coding, and testing. It's a tribute to our technical staffers that each transition has taken place seamlessly, without site downtime or any inconvenience to Tradeloop members.

In fact, our technical staff is constantly working on new features and services for Tradeloop members, and most of their work is done behind the scenes. Members appreciate the speed and stability of the Tradeloop site, but the time and effort to maintain and enhance the service is out of public view. However, there's nothing more visible - or more important - to an Internet company than the home page.

Stay tuned to the blog for coming announcements of new reports, options, and features that will make your Tradeloop membership an even more valuable business asset.

Ethically Speaking - April 2009

After a quiet period of several months where no new Ethics complaints were filed, we've experienced a flurry of activity.

During the past month, two non-member companies - Azteq Corporation and AOS Wholesale - were banned from Tradeloop. In both cases, the defendant failed to respond to the complaints. In keeping with Tradeloop policy, both companies were banned due to their non-response; the Ethics Committee didn't evaluate the claims against them.

We also alerted the community to a case of identity theft involving Tradeloop member company, Computer Surplus Solutions, LLC. An unknown person/company was using a fake email address and offering parts for sale. Please be alert for messages from this address: computersurplusllc@yahoo.com. It's the scammer's address, not an official Computer Surplus Solutions contact email.

Two other cases are being voted on by the Tradeloop Ethics Committee. One involving two Tradeloop members refers to a complaint and counter-complaint about possible counterfeit equipment. In the other, a Tradeloop member alleges non-shipment of prepaid goods by a non-member.

In fact, the bulk of Ethics Complaints are lodged by Tradeloop members against non-members.

Before setting up a deal, check to see if the company offering to buy or sell is a Tradeloop member. We've designed our stringent member verification procedures to help keep spammers, scammers, identity thieves, and other undesirable applicants out of the trading community. Our Fast Track Fraud Alert system allows us to quickly alert members to possible fraudulent activity. And, in case of problems, our volunteer Ethics Committee is ready to help mediate and resolve disputes.

Improve Conversions With Tradeloop's Ethics Seal

Consumer surveys have shown that third-party certifications help improve conversions on e-commerce Web sites. We know that every e-commerce site wants to increase sales, so we created the Tradeloop Ethics Seal to help our members improve conversions on their own sites. There's no additional charge; this program is one of the many benefits of Tradeloop membership.

Display is restricted to your site's URL, and information about the seal is specific to your company. For instance, when your customers click on the seal, they're directed to the Tradeloop site - but not for a Tradeloop sales pitch. Instead, we display a customized Ethics Seal Verification page. It identifies your company as a Tradeloop member, describes our member validation process, and outlines membership requirements.

Getting started is easy. Just go to the Tradeloop Ethics Seal signup page and follow the 4-step process:

1. Copy and paste the provided HTML code on your home page.
2. Select the Ethics Seal design you'd like to use. We provide several sizes and designs, and you're free to switch between them at any time.
3. Verify your trust mark.
4. Activate it so that it displays on your Web site.

Only validated Tradeloop members in good standing may display the Ethics Seal.

Tradeloop is committed to keeping the trading community a safe and trustworthy place to do business. We carefully screen all applicants, and our volunteer Ethics Committee doesn't hesitate to remove members when the situation warrants it. As a Tradeloop member you're part of a reputable industry organization that enforces a strict Code of Ethics.

The Ethics Seal program is a great, free way to communicate that fact to your customers!