A problematic downstream vendor can cause strife for even the most responsible e-scrap recycling company, and new recommendations aim to help R2-certified facilities ensure they are not being fooled by deceptive downstreams. Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI) has released guidance on meeting the requirements of the R2 standard's Provision 5e, which requires that companies do due diligence on their downstream...

An e-scrap group that advocates for exports of used electronics has detailed a new mechanism for funding e-scrap collection in an area of the world that has long been perceived as a materials dumping ground. Fair Trade Recycling's carbon offset model aims to encourage exporters to sell to buyers in Ghana at discounted prices, with the goal of redirecting the...

A U.S. electronics disassembly and processing outlet is expanding with a new California flagship facility, spurred by anticipated growth in the domestic electronics manufacturing industry. Re-Teck, an IT asset disposition (ITAD) company, plans to open a new 50,000-square-foot facility in the San Francisco Bay Area in August. Its U.S. operations are currently made up of three Dallas locations totaling 75,000...

For years, the plastics recycling sector has aimed to keep plastic film out of curbside bins and carts, in an effort to both keep the material clean and avoid the well-documented problems bags and other items cause at recycling facilities. But one major brand owner says recovery rates through drop-off channels aren't cutting it – and now the company is...

Pharmacies generate an abundant supply of clean, white HDPE that more often than not goes straight into the waste stream. The Association of Plastic Recyclers is looking to change that. Stock bottles are the containers medications arrive in, before they are separated and prescribed to patients. The containers and paper are the most discarded materials in a typical pharmacy setting, and...

If a municipal recycling program wants to increase its performance, local government engagement is needed. Several program leaders made that clear during a discussion hosted by the U.S. EPA last week. The discussion was framed around The Recycling Partnership's 2016 curbside program report, which looked at 465 cities in the country. In the webinar, municipal program leaders from Madison, Wis.,...

Call2Recycle has reported record volumes as it expands its focus beyond the realm of rechargeable batteries. In 2016, the organization's single-use battery collection totals increased by 158 percent over 2015. The program collected more than 4.5 million pounds of single-use batteries in Canada, and nearly 1.5 million in the U.S. Together, those sums accounted for roughly 40 percent of the...

A fertilizer and silver producer has begun processing scrap printed circuit boards to isolate precious metals. Reno, Nev.-based Itronics provided an update on its process this week, explaining it is using two furnaces to recover gold, silver, palladium, tin and copper from circuit boards. Publicly traded Itronics processes scrap electronics sourced from New2U Computers, a nonprofit computer repair and disassembly...

A manufacturer has been recognized for its process that uses 100 percent post-consumer plastics from e-scrap, as well as packaging and textiles, sourced from recycling companies across the U.S. EcoStrate recycles hard-to-recycle materials into a composite sheet, which goes into indoor and outdoor signage. The Arlington, Texas-headquartered company uses 100 percent post-consumer plastics from e-scrap, as well as packaging and...

For the 21st consecutive year, Call2Recycle set a new record in its battery and cellphone collection volume last year. But 2016 also marked an important year, because much of the growth was in collection of single-use batteries. In 2016, the organization's single-use battery collection totals increased by 158 percent over 2015. The program collected more than 4.5 million pounds of...