$100 Million e-Waste Revolution: Can It Change The Industry?

Homes across the globe are cluttered with outdated smartphones, forgotten tablets, and laptops rendered obsolete by relentless progress. For many, the question lingers: where do these remnants of modernity go? Some land in drawers, others in landfills, with little thought to their environmental toll or the lingering data they hold. The uncertainty around safe disposal or data security often leads to inaction.

Enter Erik Helgesen, co-founder of PayMore, a company that buys used electronics, securely wipes data, and resells or recycles them. By transforming the simple act of trading old devices into a model for sustainability, Helgesen has grown PayMore from a single shop in Massapequa, New York, into a network of 60 locations across North America, with plans to expand internationally.

In this conversation, Helgesen discusses the challenges of scaling a business rooted in sustainability and his vision for a world where e-waste becomes an opportunity rather than a burden.