E-Scrap Conference 2025 addresses macro trends reshaping industry

The E-Scrap Conference agenda features a rich program that offers operational detail and high-level strategy as attendees face immediate market realities in the near term and structural changes in the long term.

A major highlight will come early in the event. Monday’s opening plenary, State of the Industry: What Macro Trends Mean for Electronics Recovery, will set the tone by examining how macroeconomic forces are influencing electronics recovery. 

In a year marked by supply chain uncertainty, geopolitical disturbances, rising regulatory complexity and shifting end-markets for recovered materials, the plenary promises a reality check on the pressures and opportunities confronting recyclers and ITAD operators alike.

On Tuesday morning, the spotlight turns to consolidation and competitive dynamics with How Mergers and Acquisitions are Reshaping the ITAD Sector. This session, which I will have the honor of moderating, may be one of the most consequential for attendees. With private equity reshaping ownership structures and driving platform rollups, the discussion is expected to focus on what consolidation means for competition, client relationships, and the strategic positioning of both independents and larger integrated players. For many executives in attendance, this conversation will speak directly to their future business models.

Another recurring theme on the agenda is the growing complexity of managing batteries and critical materials. Our industry tracking work indicates that these sectors are experiencing intense movements. Consequently, the conference will dedicate a full session, Batteries in Focus: Upstream and Downstream Infrastructure Progress, to explore how lithium-ion and other chemistries are driving investment and risk management across the value chain.

Later the same day, Rare Earths Take Center Stage highlights the policy and economic stakes of recovering high-value components from electronics, an issue that now intersects with geopolitics, national resource security and global supply competition.

Technology sessions will examine advancements in processing equipment and expansion into hard-to-recycle materials, as well as how operators are adapting to new input streams and cost structures. For facility managers and technical leads, these panels will help profile the tools and methods that will be part of the competitive recycling operations in the near future.

The E-Scrap Conference would not be complete without a special focus on policy. On Wednesday, Washington Watch: What’s Ahead for Electronics Policy, organized by ReMA, offers attendees a clear understanding of where federal and state electronics legislation is headed. With extended producer responsibility (EPR) debates evolving and compliance expectations tightening, the session promises practical takeaways for firms preparing for regulatory changes that could reshape costs and obligations.

What ties the agenda together is the brilliant and deliberate balance between high-level strategic issues, such as M&A, rare earth recovery,and macroeconomic pressures, and practical operational themes like EPR systems, certification and employee training. Attendees will be able to connect industry trends with day-to-day decisions inside their organizations.

Beyond the content, presentations and panel discussions, the conference, as it always was, will maintain its role as a networking hub. Speed networking, exhibitor hours, and social receptions embedded throughout the program are evidence that the organizers believe the conference should facilitate deal-making, partnerships, and collaborations, and that often happens outside the panel rooms.

E-Scrap Conference 2025 is poised to offer new tools, innovations and a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead for companies facing both consolidation pressures and opportunities from new residual streams.