Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Electronics recycling facility fires have fluctuated widely over the years, but 2024 brought a new high, according to one tally. | PK Studio/Shutterstock
There were 14 publicly reported fires at North American electronics recycling facilities in 2024, representing a 56% increase over the prior year, according to an annual review by fire detection equipment supplier Fire Rover. It’s the highest yearly figure since the company began tracking fire statistics. Continue Reading
The visit marked ReMA’s first fly-in since rebranding with a focus on recycled material outputs rather than the scrap input. | Bill Perry/Shutterstock
Members of the Recycled Materials Association’s electronics division were on-site for the group’s recent Capitol Hill visit, where they told lawmakers how tariffs will affect electronics recovery and emphasized the importance of priority legislation. Continue Reading
Recovered material imports, like the 1 million tons of recovered fiber the U.S. brought in from Canada last year, appear to be tariff-exempt under a new executive order. | John New/Shutterstock
The U.S. tariff whirlwind continues this month: Many imports from Canada and Mexico, including those of recycled materials, had their tariffs suspended two days after they took effect last week, while previously announced tariffs on aluminum and steel from all countries took effect Wednesday.
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North America has the current capacity to process 144,000 tons per year of lithium-ion batteries. Vietnam Stock Photos/Shutterstock
North America’s current capacity to process 144,000 tons per year of lithium-ion batteries is “quite insignificant” against the projected growth in new manufacturing, according to a recent overview of the global lithium-ion battery recycling landscape from consulting and research firm Deloitte and a division of the American Chemical Society. Continue Reading
From left, Sean Magann of Sims Lifecycle Services, Rob Lawson-Shanks of Molg and Rebecca Latson of Dell speak during a panel discussion at the Reverse Logistics Association Conference and Expo in Las Vegas on March 11. | Photo by Colin Staub
Data center decommissioning, right to repair, tariffs and the role of artificial intelligence in end-of-life product grading were hot topics during a meeting of reverse logistics professionals this week. Continue Reading
The tariffs threaten to raise costs to import end-of-life batteries, circuit boards and mixed e-scrap from Canada and Mexico. | priscilla list/Shutterstock
March 7 update: Some of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6. The orders exempt goods that enter the U.S. under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which would appear to exempt recycled materials, but it’s not entirely clear. Canada’s first round of retaliatory tariffs appears to remain in effect.
The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect this week. Some tariffs on Mexican imports were paused for another month on March 6. Meanwhile, Canada’s proposed response includes tariffs on U.S. exports of recycled materials. Continue Reading
Sims Lifecycle Services, the ITAD arm of global metals giant Sims Limited, reported a 21% revenue increase in the first half of its 2025 fiscal year, while Iron Mountain reported a revenue increase of 119% over 2023. | Maximumm / Shutterstock
IT asset disposition giant Sims Lifecycle Services is handling “extraordinary” volumes of repurposed assets through its data center decommissioning business, and the company anticipates that is only going to increase, particularly in the U.S.
Containers of retired assets at the FBI were being stored in an unsecured area for weeks at a time, including unlabeled hard drives. | Photos courtesy U.S. Department of Justice
A recent criminal case involving device theft during federal government asset disposition jobs is shining new light on 2024 audits highlighting IT asset management weaknesses at the FBI and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Continue Reading
The California-based company developed printed circuit board processing technology and owned ITAD firm Stream Recycling Solutions. | Raigvi/Shutterstock
Camston Wrather, a California-headquartered company that developed printed circuit board processing technology and owned ITAD firm Stream Recycling Solutions, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this month, indicating the company will liquidate its assets to pay creditors. Continue Reading
Cascade Asset Management, which operates facilities in Wisconsin and Florida, says the combination with Sage provides logistical advantages for winning clients. | Courtesy of Cascade Asset Management
Longtime ITAD processor Cascade Asset Management has been acquired by Sage Sustainable Electronics, bringing it into the Closed Loop Partners portfolio of companies. Company leaders said a shared vision and long experience in the industry make the move complementary to each firm. Continue Reading