Company creator: Kyle Wiens has made a name for himself as the co-founder of iFixit, the company aimed at enabling consumers to repair their own electronics, and a wider audience is taking note. In a profile of Wiens, Inc. Magazine describes the history of the company, the watchful eye Apple keeps on its activities and iFixit’s role in the right-to-repair movement.
Heavy demand: A CRT recycling event in Champaign, Ill. requiring advanced registration nearly filled up three days after the sign-up period opened. The News-Gazette reports there are several other electronics recycling events in the area throughout the year, but the upcoming event is one of just two opportunities for residents to rid themselves of CRT devices.
Weight loss: From January through March, Washington state’s E-Cycle program collected 85 percent of the weight of electronics it collected during the same period a year earlier, according to Washington’s Department of Ecology. Through March, the program collected 7.6 million pounds of electronics.
Conflicting calculations: Two data analysis and forecasting firms offer slightly different takes on the global PC market. International Data Corporation reports worldwide shipments of new PCs rose 0.6 percent during the first quarter of 2017, but Gartner says they declined 2.4 percent during the same period.
EPEAT compliance: The Green Electronics Council has released a report showing which new devices were out of compliance with the e-plastics labeling requirements of the EPEAT electronics sustainability standard. The March 2017 outcomes report showed auditors initially found 19 PCs and displays out of compliance. EPEAT’s requirements for e-plastics labeling include identifying polymers and their characteristics, fillers and reinforcing materials, plasticizers and flame retardants.
