E-Scrap company evTerra Recycling has opened its San Antonio plant, closing the last chapter of the company’s nationwide expansion project.
EvTerra now has locations near Atlanta, Las Vegas and Chicago and in San Antonio. On Aug. 10, the company announced the opening of the 103,000-square-foot Texas plant, a newly constructed leased building that includes an e-scrap shredding and sorting system similar to those at evTerra’s other locations. “Once we’re full, I think that from a process alone standpoint … we’d definitely be the top two or three in the country, if not the largest shredding operation,” said Jeff Gloyd, president of evTerra Recycling.
He estimated that, when they’re running at full capacity, the four locations will be able to collectively process over 120 million pounds per year.
Headquartered in Forest Park, Ga., evTerra opened its Las Vegas-area facility in November 2022 and its Chicago-area site in April 2023.
The San Antonio plant is equipped with an SSI Q145 shredder, the same system used at the other plants. The identical systems provide efficiencies from operations, maintenance and staff training standpoints, Gloyd noted.
Learn more in person
Jeff Gloyd of evTerra will be discussing technology advancements used by the processor to improve hazard detection during a session at the E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference in New Orleans. Gloyd will be part of the “Innovation in Action” discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m. The session is part of an info-packed three day schedule. Register for the event today.In terms of maintenance, each plant has spare sets of equipment in case equipment needs replacing, but the plant in Elgin, Ill., near Chicago, also has a cache of larger, more expensive replacement items that can be shipped to the other locations within 24 hours if needed, he said.
The San Antonio facility, which is still coming up to speed, will start with one shift. The Atlanta and Las Vegas-area plants are currently working on one shift, but the Elgin operation just increased to two shifts, he said.
When asked about further expansion plans, Gloyd said there aren’t currently solid plans for new processing locations.
“The focus is making this as good as can be for our customers and for operations and our team,” he said, “and then see what’s next.”
EvTerra is a subsidiary of Igneo Technologies, a global metals recovery firm focused on e-scrap. Igneo was acquired by non-ferrous smelting company Korea Zinc last year for roughly $442 million, and it is currently building a metals recovery operation with two furnaces in Savannah, Ga.
EvTerra will supply copper- and precious-metals-bearing scrap to the parent companies. Because of its role providing feedstock for commodities recovery, evTerra is focusing on processing end-of-life electronics, not reselling used devices.
