Upcycle
Upcycle (UPCYCLE USA) is a vertically integrated IT Asset Disposition and electronic waste recycling company serving schools, businesses, hospitals, municipalities, government agencies, and data centers across the United States via its own fleet and 18 pickup locations, offering secure data destruction and zero-waste-to-landfill recycling since 2011.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersFairfield, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Upcycle does
Upcycle (operating as UPCYCLE USA) is a privately held, full-service IT Asset Management and Electronic Waste Recycling company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey. The company provides end-of-life IT equipment disposition services to six customer verticals — schools and universities, businesses (Fortune 500 to SMB), hospitals, municipalities, government agencies, and data centers — completing over 20,000 IT Asset Removal Projects and serving 5,000+ U.S. schools since inception.
Its core offering is a vertically integrated service stack built around a six-step process (Identify, Transport, Protect, Report, Recycle, Donate) executed by an in-house fleet of vehicles and trained removal specialists across 18 pickup locations nationwide. Technically, the platform is operational rather than algorithmic: certified Universal Waste Large Quantity Handler status permits acceptance of any plug-bearing device in any condition; DOD 26-pass wipe and physical shredding provide certified data destruction with documentation delivered within 24 hours; and a zero-waste-to-landfill policy is paired with a "Pay It Forward" donation program that routes reusable equipment to schools and nonprofits. The product portfolio spans nine service lines including IT Asset Disposition, IT Asset Management, Trucking & Logistics, Electronic Waste Recycling, Data Destruction, White Glove Liquidation, Life Cycle Solutions, Relocation Services, and Data Center Decommissioning.
Upcycle monetizes primarily through professional services fees on custom-quoted engagements, with free pickup offered as an acquisition funnel for organizations presenting 25 or more qualifying devices. The go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-field-sales driven, combining direct phone outreach, online lead-capture forms, SEO/content marketing around state-specific recycling guides, and a client portal for existing accounts. Distribution is exclusively direct via the owned fleet, with no third-party logistics or reseller channels. The company is led by CEO Mark DeTroia and shows no disclosed external investors, parent company, or acquisition activity.
Upcycle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upcycle
- Legal name
- UPCYCLE
- Website
- https://upcyclellc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Upcycle (UPCYCLE USA) is a vertically integrated IT Asset Disposition and electronic waste recycling company serving schools, businesses, hospitals, municipalities, government agencies, and data centers across the United States via its own fleet and 18 pickup locations, offering secure data destruction and zero-waste-to-landfill recycling since 2011.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upcycle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Asset Disposition & Electronic Waste Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Waste Collection (56211), Other Waste Collection (562119)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-waste Collection, Aggregation & Reverse Logistics (BPALAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs (TLAAALAN)
Keywords
Where Upcycle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fairfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upcycle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- IT Asset Disposition (ITAD): Full service IT asset disposition including pickup, data destruction, and responsible recycling. Services include free pickup for organizations with 25+ items (computers, laptops, servers, tablets, or smartphones). The company handles the entire process from pickup through final disposition.
- Electronic Waste Recycling Services: Recycling services for all electronic waste in any condition. Revenue generated through service fees for organizations below the 25-item threshold, plus additional services such as white glove liquidation, data center decommissioning, and relocation services.
- IT Asset Management: Inventory management and logistics oversight services for managing hardware throughout its lifecycle.
- Data Destruction Services: Secure data destruction with certification, including DOD 26 wipe and physical shredding options with certificate of destruction within 24 hours.
- Equipment Donation Program: Pay It Forward program where reusable equipment and a portion of proceeds are donated to educational programs and underprivileged children, supporting schools and NPOs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Bulk Pickup Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Upcycle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UPCYCLE USA is a full-service IT Asset Management and Electronic Waste Recycling company that provides end-of-life IT equipment disposition for organizations. It picks up, transports, securely destroys data, recycles, and where applicable donates retired electronic equipment using its own fleet of vehicles and certified processing facilities. Free pickup is provided for organizations with 25 or more qualifying items (computers, laptops, servers, tablets, or smartphones), with custom quotes available for additional services.
Product overview
UPCYCLE USA is a full service IT Asset Management and Electronic Waste Recycling company offering a portfolio of nine interconnected service offerings. The core offerings include IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) for secure end-of-life equipment disposal, IT Asset Management for inventory control, and Electronic Waste Recycling with a zero waste to landfill policy. These are supported by Trucking & Logistics (proprietary fleet of vehicles), Data Destruction (DOD 26 wipe and shredding services), White Glove Liquidation (full-service removal), Life Cycle Solutions (donation/repurposing), Relocation Services (electronics moving), and Data Center Decommissioning (secure decommissioning for data centers). The company accepts anything with a plug in any condition, providing a comprehensive one-stop solution from pickup through final disposition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Comprehensive electronic waste recycling and disposal service for end-of-life IT equipment, providing schools, businesses, hospitals, municipalities, and government agencies with secure and environmentally responsible asset disposition solutions.
- IT Asset Management Inventory management and hardware flow control service that helps organizations manage their technology assets throughout the equipment lifecycle.
- Trucking & Logistics In-house fleet of vehicles operated by vetted drivers that manage pickup, packing, loading, and transportation of equipment from client locations to UPCYCLE facilities nationwide.
- Electronic Waste Recycling Zero waste to landfill electronic waste recycling service that properly disposes and sustainably manages all types of end-of-life IT equipment and electronic waste.
- Data Destruction Secure, reliable, and transparent data security service that guarantees proper handling of data-bearing devices using industry-standard protocols including DOD 26-pass wipe and hard drive shredding, with a certificate of destruction provided within 24 hours.
- White Glove Liquidation Full-service removal of retired electronic equipment where UPCYCLE manages the entire pick-up process from beginning to end, assuming responsibility for safe, reliable, and secure removal.
- Life Cycle Solutions Equipment donation and repurposing program that provides access to vital technology for non-profit organizations and schools through the Pay It Forward initiative.
- Relocation Services Electronics relocation service that handles packing, transportation, and setup to minimize downtime and business disruption during technology moves.
- Data Center Decommissioning Expert decommissioning services for data centers including secure data destruction, environmentally responsible disposal, and efficient asset management and tracking.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 20,000 successful IT Asset Removal Projects completed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Upcycle
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Upcycle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Upcycle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- EarthWalkcorePartnership announced on Earth Day 2022 to provide schools with a unified and socially responsible lifecycle for their equipment. EarthWalk pioneered mobile cart technology including high-efficiency, energy-saving charging stations for schools with 25+ years in educational technology. The partnership connects school tech supply with responsible disposition of obsolete equipment, serving over 8,000 school districts throughout the United States. EarthWalk had received numerous customer inquiries about proper IT equipment disposal, making UPCYCLE a natural fit.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Upcycle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sims Lifecycle Services: Sims Lifecycle Services is one of the largest global IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) and e-waste recycling operators, directly competing with Upcycle on enterprise hardware decommissioning, data destruction, and reverse-logistics services.
- Cascade Asset Management: Cascade Asset Management is a US-based ITAD and electronics recycler providing IT asset disposition, data destruction, and reverse logistics — closely overlapping Upcycle's full-service ITAD offering.
- Electronic Recyclers International (ERI): ERI is one of the largest US e-waste recyclers, operating certified processing facilities and serving enterprise, government, and consumer streams — a direct competitor in the same electronic-waste recycling category as Upcycle.
- Reclamere: Reclamere is a US ITAD provider focused on secure data destruction, IT asset disposition, and HIPAA-compliant electronics recycling for healthcare and enterprise — competing with Upcycle in the healthcare and enterprise verticals.
- Sunnking Electronic Recycling: Sunnking is a regional US e-waste recycler offering IT asset disposition, data destruction, and pickup services, comparable to Upcycle's vertically integrated pickup-to-processing model in the Northeast.
- HOBI International: HOBI International is a US-based IT asset disposition and electronics recycling company providing enterprise ITAD, data destruction, and reverse logistics, comparable to Upcycle's end-to-end service model.
Broad incumbents
- Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management: Iron Mountain is a large, publicly-traded incumbent offering secure IT asset disposition, data destruction, and records management as part of a broader information-management portfolio, competing with Upcycle for enterprise and government e-waste contracts.
- Arrow Electronics Asset Disposition: Arrow Electronics is a large global electronics distributor that also offers IT asset disposition and value-recovery services, competing for enterprise hardware end-of-life contracts as part of a broader technology distribution portfolio.
Emerging players
- RetirePC: RetirePC is a US e-waste recycling company focused on schools, businesses, and small organizations, overlapping with Upcycle's schools-and-SMB pickup model as a niche ITAD competitor.
Regional players
- R2/Responsible Recycling certified recyclers (e.g., QUINN): R2-certified regional electronics recyclers compete with Upcycle in enterprise and government e-waste pickup and processing, particularly in geographies where Upcycle's own 18 pickup locations are concentrated.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Upcycle social profiles
Digital presenceUpcycle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upcycle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Upcycle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upcycle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upcycle
What does Upcycle do?
UPCYCLE USA is a full-service IT Asset Management and Electronic Waste Recycling company that provides end-of-life IT equipment disposition for organizations. It picks up, transports, securely destroys data, recycles, and where applicable donates retired electronic equipment using its own fleet of vehicles and certified processing facilities. Free pickup is provided for organizations with 25 or more qualifying items (computers, laptops, servers, tablets, or smartphones), with custom quotes available for additional services.
Is Upcycle a public or private company?
Upcycle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Upcycle founded?
Upcycle was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Upcycle based?
Upcycle is headquartered in Fairfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Upcycle make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) is the primary driver. The others are electronic Waste Recycling Services, IT Asset Management, data Destruction Services and equipment Donation Program.
Who are Upcycle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sims Lifecycle Services, Cascade Asset Management, Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), Reclamere, Sunnking Electronic Recycling and HOBI International. Broad incumbents are Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management and Arrow Electronics Asset Disposition. RetirePC is listed as an emerging player. R2/Responsible Recycling certified recyclers (e.g., QUINN) is listed as a regional player.
Does Upcycle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upcycle.
What industry is Upcycle in?
Upcycle's product category is IT Asset Disposition & Electronic Waste Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAIAB, E-waste Collection, Aggregation & Reverse Logistics, with a secondary code of TLAAALAN, Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs. Its NAICS code is 56211 and its SIC code is 4953.