A Basel Action Network study links US e-scrap brokers to large exports into Asia and urges regulators, auditors and lawmakers to close oversight gaps. | Nattanan726/Shutterstock

A two-year study urging scrutiny of e-scrap exports to Southeast Asia drew reader interest in October, as well as an ITAD firm’s consolidation, M&A’s effect on the industry, the Department of Energy’s stake in a lithium firm and the US EPA’s largest lithium-ion battery cleanup. 

The list below shows our top five stories published in October in order of unique page views.

1 | BAN report links brokers to surge in US e-scrap exports

Nonprofit organization Basel Action Network released a report attributing surging US e-scrap exports to Southeast Asia to brokers posing as recyclers but acting mainly as shippers, a “hidden tsunami” the group says should trigger regulatory and certification reviews.

2 | URT closes New Hampshire site, shifts work west

Universal Recycling Technologies has closed its Dover, New Hampshire facility and is consolidating work into its other plants, a decision company leaders described as a strategic refocus rather than a retreat from the region.

3 | How mergers and acquisitions are rewiring the ITAD industry

A Compliance Standards report draws a vivid map of how private equity, infrastructure giants and mission-driven impact funds are transforming what was once a niche, fragmented set of services into institutional-grade infrastructure, governed by compliance, technology enablement, and measurable environmental outcomes.

4 | Analysis: DOE takes equity stake in Lithium Americas deal

The US Department of Energy is redefining its approach to industrial investment through a revised agreement with Lithium Americas Corporation, the Canada- and Nevada-based developer of the Thacker Pass lithium project. 

5 | US EPA begins largest lithium-ion battery cleanup effort

As lithium-ion battery fires increasingly threaten recycling facilities and landfills nationwide, the US EPA is preparing to undertake its largest lithium-battery remediation efforts to date.