An expert outlines the small-business benefits of buying used devices, and a massive recycling facility is scheduled to come on-line in the Middle East this year.
E-plastic flame retardants: A network of public interest organizations is blasting Chile and Canada for proposing that the Stockholm Convention allow recycling of e-plastics containing the DecaBDE flame retardant. IPEN says the practice can lead to the introduction of the toxic substance in new products, including children’s toys.
Benefits of buying used: Refurbished devices aren’t just a good idea for individual consumers; they’re also a viable purchasing option for small businesses. That’s according to Humza Muhhamad, director of sales at UniMaven, who recently wrote about the value proposition of companies using refurbished devices.
Domestic processing gaps: By exporting 90 percent of recovered printed circuit boards and 80 percent of recovered e-plastics, South Africa is losing out on the economic benefits of recycling those materials at home, according to a new report. ITWeb also explored the constraints to domestic processing of those materials.
Massive facility envisioned: A planned 228,000-square-foot recycling facility in the United Arab Emirates will become the center of e-scrap recycling expertise in region, according to the Khaleej Times. The facility, to be built in Dubai at a cost of about 120 million UAE Dirham (about $32.7 million), will process electronics, appliances, batteries and specialized wastes such as aerosols and bulbs.
