> From the large enterprise IT departments I've seen, cleaning up old laptops that aren't being re-used by the enterprise is a very, very low priority

That's a political choice. If there was a direct cost associated with scrapping electronics rather than reusing it, there would be an immediate cost-benefit analysis done.

For example, if there was a $100 deposit on all electronics sold in US stores that would be refunded when a refurbishing company refurbished the product, a company can immediately see a return on investment of company time. It will immediately be worth it to have an IT person spend the 5 minutes it would take to get the device ready for refurbishment. Hell, if the company is large enough, it would be worth it to have someone employed to do only that.

It would also incentivise private individuals to dispose of their devices responsibly, because who wouldn't want $100 just for handing in eWaste?

This, at least ours have big restrictions on reselling since they were paid for using government grants- we can’t just resell to the public, so if another department doesn’t need them, they just sit around in drawers for a few years until they get scrapped. Eventually some are listed on auction sites, but at that point they’re worth so little- even $500 isn’t enough to justify the time spent wiping, listing, etc. and potential liability if any financial/HIPPA info is left behind.

Once AppleCare wears off our machines are replaced anyway. We’re allowed to just keep our old ones, especially for international travel (computers can be searched at borders, this way we only load what’s essential and if it’s stolen it’s not a big deal).