What if your junk drawer is quietly holding cash, critical minerals, and a few nagging data risks? We sit down with Stephanie McLarty, Head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, to map a simple, secure path from clutter to circularity. From reducing impulse upgrades to choosing certified recycling, this conversation turns good intentions into easy wins you can apply today.
We dig into the environmental stakes—toxins in landfills, lithium-linked fire risks, and the high emissions cost of new manufacturing—and show how reuse and responsible recycling conserve resources while supporting digital equity. Stephanie explains why only 22% of electronics get formally recycled, how “electronic hibernation” traps value in closets, and which habits actually cut your bill: shutting laptops down, flipping power bars off, and stretching refresh cycles. For anyone nervous about privacy, she breaks down DIY wiping versus certified data sanitization, the R2v3 standard, and what to expect from trusted providers so your information stays yours.
If budget matters, you’ll learn how refurbished devices deliver like-new performance at 30–70% less, what warranties and certifications to look for, and when it makes sense to repair instead of replace. We wrap with a practical toolkit: inventory your tech, flag data-bearing devices, use verified dropoffs, and set a clear cutoff for “just-in-case” backups. Small moves add up fast when they’re convenient, safe, and aligned with how nature works—no waste, just value in the right place.
If this helped you take one step toward a cleaner tech life, follow the show, share it with a friend who hoards cables, and leave a quick review to tell us which device you’re retiring first.
Thanks for tuning in to The Circular Future. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Interested in joining us as a guest? Reach out to Sanjay Trivedi at strivedi@quantumlifecycle.com.
Listen to more episodes at https://quantumlifecycle.com/podcast, and stay connected with us on LinkedIn.
Episode Transcript
If there was a toolkit for circular tech
habits, what would it look like?
Welcome to the Circular Future,showcasing stories of
circularity that reshape howbusinesses operate and how you
can do it in your organizationtoo.
(00:32):
I'm your host, StephanieMcLarty, head of sustainability
at Quantum Lifecycle Partners,your trusted partner in
electronics circularity.
Today we're covering how smarttech habits, even small moves,
add up to big impact forcircularity.
But today's episode is a littledifferent.
(00:54):
We're featuring a live interviewfrom the TV show Empowered with
Elizabeth Nomovsky, whichoriginally aired on the news
forum.
It's a perfect primer on why itmatters to tackle that drunk
drawer or storage room full ofold tech, which, by the way, may
be quietly holding cash,critical minerals, and data
(01:17):
risks.
And here's another twist.
This time I'm in the hot seatwith Elizabeth asking me the
questions.
You'll hear my personal story offounding Reficient, which was
later acquired by Quantum, pluslessons we've learned along the
way at Quantum about turningclutter into circular value.
(01:38):
Let's dive into the interviewafter this short message.
Apparently, only sustainabilitypros read sustainability
reports.
Well, consider this yourinvitation to crash the party.
(02:00):
At QuantumLifecycle.com slashsustainability.
SPEAKER_01 (02:17):
Why reuse and recycle?
Because every item savedprotects our planet's resources,
cuts pollution, and also saveson our budget.
When getting rid of old devices,are you worried about your data?
We'll find out how to wipepersonal information before
recycling to stay safe.
And we'll also discuss where totake electronics to dispose of
(02:38):
them and balance new technologywith less e-waste.
This means repairing, reusing,and making smart upgrades.
So tomorrow's innovations won'tcost the earth or your wallet.
So let's make every actioncount.
Today I'm joined by StephanieMcClerti, Head of Sustainability
at Quantum Lifestyle Partners.
(02:59):
And she's here with me.
How are you, Stephanie?
SPEAKER_02 (03:02):
I'm great, Liz.
Thank you so much for having mehere.
SPEAKER_01 (03:05):
I am so excited to talk to you because I want you
to explain to everybody what doyou do and what inspired you to
do it?
SPEAKER_02 (03:13):
Yeah, well, Liz, I didn't expect to end up in the
electronics recycling space.
I basically followed open doorsand it started out in my 20s for
a summer job.
I worked at a major telecomcompany wearing steel-toed
boots, and I went out to the oldnetwork sites physically pulling
the old equipment and figuringout what to do with it.
(03:35):
And that led into therealization that even though
that telecom company didn'treally want to deal with that
e-waste, they wanted to maintainand upgrade their networks.
There were other companies thatwanted it.
And so I started my own company,ran that for many years.
And then we were acquired byQuantum Life Cycle Partners in
(03:56):
2022.
So now I'm head ofsustainability at Quantum.
We are the largest electronicsrecycler and reuse company in
Canada.
And we basically figure out whatto do with your old equipment.
SPEAKER_01 (04:08):
Okay, I love it.
I just want to step back for amoment because you said you were
wearing steel still toe boots.
SPEAKER_02 (04:14):
I was.
SPEAKER_01 (04:15):
I did too.
Did you?
When I was younger, yes.
I wore them in high school.
And then I wore them when Ifirst started working in
television broadcasting, pullingcables and carrying really heavy
stuff.
So it's so funny because I neverthought about that until you
just mentioned it.
Wow.
SPEAKER_02 (04:33):
And isn't it amazing how it really informs you at a
different level, having done theactual work yourself?
Um, so I'm really blessed.
And I'm I'm also blessed now tonot have to wear them so often.
SPEAKER_01 (04:45):
Yeah, yeah, I actually prefer stiletto.
So let's just walk away fromthose, right?
SPEAKER_02 (04:50):
Yes, totally.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
Okay, so let's just go back to basics.
Why is it important to reuse andrecycle?
SPEAKER_02 (04:56):
There are many reasons why it's important to
reuse and recycleenvironmentally, socially,
financially.
Environmentally, when you thinkabout items, especially
electronics, have toxins inthem.
So if it ends up in landfill,those toxins can leach into our
soils and our water systems.
And also from an emissionstandpoint, it takes a lot of
(05:19):
greenhouse gas emissions tomanufacture something, to pull
the materials out of the earth,manufacture into a product.
So environmentally, it makes themost sense.
Also, socially, if you candonate an item, then it
contributes to what's calleddigital equity, basically
ensuring access to technologyfor everyone.
(05:39):
And then financially, too, whatwe see is, especially for
electronics, it helpsorganizations to make money back
through the recovery ofcommodities or the remarketing
of assets.
It also helps them to savemoney.
I know you're all aboutfrugality.
SPEAKER_01 (05:55):
I'm all about making frugality fashionable.
SPEAKER_02 (05:57):
It is very fashionable in the electronics
recycling space.
Um, because basically you'rehelping companies to save money
or to make money on the flipside as well.
SPEAKER_01 (06:07):
So, what is electronic waste and why is it
particularly bad?
Because I see all of these umelectric bicycles now and
scooters, and they all havethese crazy batteries with a lot
of lithium and and everythingelse inside there.
So explain it to me, please.
SPEAKER_02 (06:29):
You're absolutely right.
There's so much now that issmart that there is batteries or
circuit boards embedded in it.
And so if that ends up in thelandfill, then the lithium, for
example, can get out into thesoil or the water.
But also there's a risk aroundfires as well if they're not
(06:52):
managed properly.
So that's why it's importantthat if you do not need your
electronics any longer to thenmove it to the next appropriate
step.
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
Okay, so when we come back, we're going to
discuss more about why this isso important, not only for the
environment, your household, butfor your wallet as well.
So don't go away.
We will be right back with moreStephanie's tips because this is
really important for all of usto understand and to actually
implement into our lives.
SPEAKER_00 (07:40):
I'm Elizabeth Nomovsky.
SPEAKER_01 (07:41):
Today we're discussing planet positive
practices for work and life.
So, Stephanie, are we good atrecycling?
Because I feel that I'm a reallygood citizen because I keep
filling up that blue bin.
SPEAKER_02 (07:54):
Yeah, unfortunately as a whole, we're not great at
recycling.
SPEAKER_01 (07:59):
How so?
SPEAKER_02 (08:00):
So, on from an electronic standpoint, only
about 22% of electronics areactually formally recycled
globally.
A lot sit in closets anddrawers, and that's called
electronic hibernation.
Oh.
And it's something that we needto address as we move forward,
and we need to get the criticalminerals out of our dormant
(08:22):
devices.
But also, on a blue boxperspective, it is great to do
the right thing.
You know, put your cans and yourplastics where they need to go.
Um, it doesn't always end up atrecycling, depending on the
recycling infrastructure ofmunicipalities, but we're seeing
that really change and new rulesare coming out and a new system
(08:44):
as of January 2026.
SPEAKER_01 (08:46):
Yeah, there's a new system coming in, I think, for
every different municipalities,different provinces, and
everything else.
So is there a truth to reduce,reuse, recycle being in that
order?
SPEAKER_02 (08:58):
Yeah, we learn about this concept of reduce, reuse,
recycle in school, right?
And it is a simple concept thatpeople can wrap their heads
around.
It actually does have a lot oftruth to it.
May not be perfect, but it doeshave truth.
Why?
Because you should start on thereduce level.
Reduce your need for items.
(09:19):
You know, think twice about doyou really need to buy something
new?
And that saves your wallet aswell.
It does save your wallet,absolutely.
Also look at reducing yourimpact.
So it could be in terms ofdevices, unplugging them at
night so they don't trickle theenergy.
And what's so interesting, Liz,is that in nature, there is no
(09:40):
waste.
Everything is reused andrecycled.
So when we think abouteliminating waste through
reduction, that's really thebest outcome.
Next, best is reuse.
Reuse of full devices, reuse ofparts of it is also really good
because we're avoiding theemissions of new manufacturing.
(10:02):
And then like the last step,which is an important piece of
the puzzle, is recycling.
And that means that we can likebreak it down and reuse the
actual commodities within.
It can be energy intensive to doso.
It is a great practice, but itreally should come after reuse
and after reduce.
SPEAKER_01 (10:18):
Okay, before I go to my next question, I need to ask,
because you said unplug.
So a lot of people just plug intheir cell phones all night so
that they are at a hundred, butthat's not good for your cell
phone either.
SPEAKER_02 (10:31):
Yeah, especially for charging your cell phone
battery, there's an optimalwindow.
But it's even things like yourlaptop, for example, if it's
fully charged to make sure it'sshut down at night.
And I'm not perfect, Liz.
You can ask my husband.
But but really, you know, turnyour laptop off and even turn
your power bars off so itdoesn't trickle, use the trickle
(10:53):
energy, which while it seemssmall, it really adds up over
time.
SPEAKER_01 (10:57):
Oh, okay.
Well, that's good to know.
So let's go back to recycling.
What stops people from recyclingand doing the right thing?
SPEAKER_02 (11:04):
There's really, I believe, two key challenges that
both people face on anindividual level as well as
businesses.
One is simply the awareness ofwhat to do with it.
Like, where do you take it?
Where does it go?
Especially, you know, when youhave uh a can or a plastic, like
is this type of plasticrecyclable here?
(11:25):
It's it's confusing.
Yeah.
Right.
So so the awareness of knowingwhat to do.
The second piece is convenience.
See, a lot of people want to dothe right thing, but they don't
want to be inconvenienced.
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:37):
So we have to design solutions that encourage people,
like get them educated, but alsomake it convenient for them to
do the right thing.
SPEAKER_01 (11:46):
I think I think you're 100% correct because if
it's inconvenient and I have todrive two hours to do something,
I I can think of better thingsto do with two hours rather than
spend it in the car each way.
Um, but when I look at doing theright thing, sometimes people
just don't know what to do.
(12:06):
Yes.
And so they they do nothing.
And they think that doingnothing is the right thing.
SPEAKER_02 (12:11):
And I think one of the key things that people
really need to get is you needto start somewhere.
Like do something.
Do one thing that is aplanet-friendly practice, one
thing that's different, that'snew.
October is circular economymonth, so it's a perfect time to
like look at recycling andcircularity, what you can do for
(12:34):
that.
SPEAKER_01 (12:34):
Okay, well, this is great because when we come back,
we're gonna talk about what todo with our phones, like where
to take them and how to cleanthem up so that um we protect
ourselves with a lot of ourprivate information, which is
really, really important.
So please don't go away.
We'll be right back for more.
(13:14):
How do I get started with my oldelectronics that are at home and
at work?
What do I do?
SPEAKER_02 (13:20):
Yeah, well, I spoke about this electronic
hibernation phenomenon wherethings just sit in closets and
drawers.
There's two things to do to getstarted, regardless of whether
you're talking about yourpersonal or your work.
One is identify what you have.
Like pull them out of yourdrawers, pull them out of your
closets.
(13:40):
If you're a business, chancesare you've got a storage room
full of tech.
You know, figure out what youhave.
There are companies that canhelp with that, but basically
identify what you have.
The second thing is then look tosee which devices have personal
data on them or any data thatneeds to be removed because
those devices will need to betreated differently.
(14:03):
And it's really important thatyou treat them properly.
SPEAKER_01 (14:05):
Okay, so I have a tablet that just broke.
Something happened on the rightcorner.
What do I do to remove all of mypersonal data?
How do I do that?
And how do I do it properly?
SPEAKER_02 (14:17):
Yeah.
So there are do-it-yourselfsolutions out there.
There are basically softwarethat you can download that will
wipe the data.
Um, some are free, some arepaid.
The other option is to use aservice provider that does it.
And I would always recommend topeople that if there is
(14:38):
sensitive information on thesedevices, I would recommend using
a certified professional to wipethe data.
Like don't mess around with thisbecause this is really
important.
You don't want the data to getout.
And it's really important tofind a certified company because
there are companies out therethat say, oh yeah, we'll we'll
(15:00):
do delete your data, but there'stoo many stories of devices
ending up overseas and databeing leaked because they
didn't.
SPEAKER_01 (15:08):
I was going to say, well, what happens if I give it
to somebody and they go rogueand take all my personal
information and then try toblackmail me with it?
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
Yeah.
So you need to find a certifiedcompany.
The certifications to look for,for example, are the responsible
recycling R2 V3 certification,R2.
The other one that Quantum hasis the made AAA certification
that basically guarantees thatyour data is sanitized at a
(15:41):
certain level.
And companies like Quantum havesophisticated software to wipe
the data so that you can sleepat night.
SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
And I think that's the most important thing.
Everybody wants to sleep atnight.
Yes.
Right?
Yeah.
You don't want to make, I mean,we're all worried about AI right
now and being duped into, youknow, clicking on a phishing
link or anything.
Um, we want to be able to sleepat night and know that we're
comfortable with what we've doneand we've we've done the right
(16:09):
thing when it comes to ourelectronics.
SPEAKER_02 (16:11):
Absolutely.
It doesn't cost like a ton, butthese are these are that's a
wise investment for your ownpeace of mind.
unknown (16:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:20):
So, okay, so now I've wiped my tablet.
Uh, there's absolutely no morepersonal information on there.
Now what do I do?
Where do I go?
SPEAKER_02 (16:28):
So there's uh a couple of options.
One is you can if you look atyour local municipality, because
they often have recycling at thelocal transfer stations.
Another one is to, if you go onQuantum's website, for example,
there's a residential drop-offbutton and it you can search by
your address and it will giveyou all the drop-off sites
(16:49):
around you.
So basically get it to the nextlocation that is certified and
that you can be rest assuredthat they're going to need to
deal with it properly.
SPEAKER_01 (16:59):
So, you know, a lot of times I see, you know, cell
phones are really expensive,tablets are really expensive,
and then you go online and yousee a refurbished item.
So what does that mean?
And, you know, I don't have alot of money, so I I think
refurbished works for me.
Does it or doesn't it?
SPEAKER_02 (17:18):
Yeah, that's a great question.
So refurbished means that it isa device that's pre-owned, that
is has been basicallyrefurbished, um, repaired as
necessary back up to like newstandards.
And it is a wonderful solution.
I actually bought an iPad a fewmonths ago, and it is like new.
(17:41):
And that's the thing.
You can get devices that are afraction of the cost.
You can save usually 30 to 70%off the retail price because it
is refurbished.
My advice around refurbished isto choose a company that has
good reviews, that hascertifications, look into the
(18:01):
warranty of the device so thatyou can be rest assured that
whatever you're getting is whatthey say it is, and that if
there's any issue, which theretypically isn't, but you can
reach out to the company.
SPEAKER_01 (18:13):
So before we go to break, five seconds, who
refurbishes them?
SPEAKER_02 (18:17):
Well, Quantum does.
Um, QNOVum is a good site.
That's fine.
SPEAKER_01 (18:21):
All right.
So please don't go away.
We'll be right back.
(18:45):
And I'm joined by StephanieMcClerty.
She's the head of sustainabilityat Quantum Life Cycle Partners.
Okay, Stephanie, last segment.
So we've got a lot to put inhere, right?
Absolutely.
So let's go thought provokingnow.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
All right.
SPEAKER_01 (18:59):
How do you balance the need for new technology with
the goal of reducing youre-waste?
SPEAKER_02 (19:04):
Liz, I think this is a really important question of
our times, right?
We want to move forward, but howdo we do that in a way that is
responsible and that honors theplanet?
So one of the key things reallyis to ask the question do I
really need this device?
Like determine if this is a needor a want.
(19:26):
There might be some cases whereit is a need, fine.
But in a lot of cases, it's awant.
Well, in that case, you know,maybe it's appropriate to step
back and think, well, maybe Iwon't buy a new device every
year, you know, maybe it's everyother year, every three years to
really upgrade.
So really try that on personallyof like, do I really need this
(19:47):
device?
The second piece of it is then,if you do choose to upgrade,
then make sure that your olddevice, you know, is properly
reused, recycled, that it goesinto the right channels and it
just doesn't just sit in adrawer.
SPEAKER_01 (20:01):
So, okay, let's what if I just bought a new phone,
like right now today, but I wantto keep my old phone just in
case this one falls into thewater or something happens to
it, I drop it, it it gets it'sbroken, smashed to pieces.
Isn't it smart to keep my oldone in my drawer just in case I
(20:25):
use it?
Or sorry, in case I need it.
SPEAKER_02 (20:27):
In case you need it.
Well, you know, it does happenthat devices get broken.
Um, but a lot of them can befixed pretty quickly as well.
It might be okay to keep yourphone for a certain period of
time if if that actually helpsyou to sleep at night, fine.
But there is a thing calledcluttered garage syndrome, where
(20:47):
we think we're gonna needsomething and we just shove it
into the garage until it becomestoo cluttered.
SPEAKER_01 (20:53):
Not my garage.
SPEAKER_02 (20:54):
Okay, no, yeah, I didn't think so.
So, what I would suggest in thatcase is sure, keep it, but give
yourself a time frame becauseafter a certain period of time,
you're not gonna go back to thatphone anyways.
You would, if your phone breaks,if it can't be repaired, you
would get a new one.
So, like give yourself a cutoffand make a note in your
calendar.
SPEAKER_01 (21:13):
Okay, well, that's good.
So, how do you encouragecoworkers or other community
members to adopt betterrecycling?
SPEAKER_02 (21:20):
I think the the overwhelm around recycling and
what to do, the lack ofawareness is so real.
So, one of the best things to dois to not tackle everything at
once, but instead choose onearea.
Start somewhere, choose that onearea, really you know, educate
(21:41):
others and you know, perhapsbuild a collection event or some
kind of activity, maybe docleanup of that one thing so
that people get buy-in and thatthey understand, you know, the
impact of it.
The other thing that I reallysuggest is when you're choosing
that one thing, is to thinkabout an area where there's a
(22:01):
payoff for something else.
So on a personal level, maybemaybe you're dealing with, like
maybe it's the phone that's inyour drawer.
It's like, okay, I'm givingmyself this amount of time and
then I'm gonna deal with it.
On uh a work level, maybe it'sI've got a storage room full of
tech.
I need to deal with that, andwhen I do, I'm gonna have peace
(22:24):
of mind.
There's gonna be the payoff ofpeace of mind.
So choose that thing wherethere's also an additional
payoff if possible.
SPEAKER_01 (22:32):
So we have less than a minute left, about 45 seconds.
If you could change one thingabout how society handles waste,
what would it be?
SPEAKER_02 (22:45):
I think if I could change one thing, it would be
that we view waste differently.
That it is not some externalitythat we can just discard, but
really coming back to nature,where everything is reused and
recycled.
There is no waste, that wereally start thinking a lot more
(23:07):
broadly on, you know, justbecause this one thing or one
item isn't needed anymore here,that there could be another
productive use for it.
And also in that lens to like tobuy less, you know, take the
opportunity to consume less andlive better at the same time.
SPEAKER_01 (23:26):
Thank you so much, Stephanie.
SPEAKER_02 (23:28):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (23:29):
Stephanie says make a commitment by the end of the
month to do one thing, such asclear out your drawer or closet
of old electronics and make sureto delete all of your data.
I'm Elizabeth Nomovsky, and I'mhere to empower you and make
frugality fashionable.
Thank you so much for watching.
Bye for now.
SPEAKER_02 (23:59):
And remember, if you're looking for a partner to
help you repair, reuse, andrecycle your electronics, we'd
love to chat.
Head on over toQuantumLifecycle.com and contact
us.
This is a Quantum LifecyclePodcast, and the producer is
Sanjay Trevetti.
Thank you for being a circularfuture champion in your company
(24:19):
and beyond.
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.