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Author Archives: Colin Staub

About Colin Staub

Colin-StaubColin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].

E-scrap magnet recycling company scales up

Published: February 6, 2025
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Hard drives provide a key supply of magnets in the end-of-life consumer electronics stream. | Lifestyle and Wedding ph/Shutterstock

A U.S. rare earth recycling technology firm recently announced it has expanded its capabilities to recycle magnets, including those sourced from end-of-life consumer electronics. Continue Reading

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New EPA leader brings industry group support

Published: February 6, 2025
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Lee Zeldin, a former congressman from New York, is the new administrator of the U.S. EPA. | Courtesy of C-Span

There are few indications how incoming U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin might shift the agency’s solid waste and recycling work, but he won the support of the Recycled Materials Association and other stakeholders who say he likely brings an understanding of local solid waste management challenges. Continue Reading

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China issues new critical mineral export barriers

Published: February 6, 2025
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If critical minerals become harder to source, the recycling industry could draw greater attention as a supply line. | Cybrain/Shutterstock

As trade strife between the U.S. and China heats up once again, the Chinese government has restricted exports of some key metals alongside retaliatory tariffs. Given China’s position as the world’s largest supplier of those metals, the move could spur more interest in U.S. recycling. Continue Reading

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Total Reclaim fined for battery processing line

Published: January 30, 2025
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State regulators described permit and documentation issues related to an alkaline battery processing line. | Kinek00/Shutterstock

Washington state regulators this month announced an enforcement action against longtime processor Total Reclaim, stemming from battery processing violations observed during a 2023 inspection. Continue Reading

ITAD market stabilizes after four-year struggle

Published: January 30, 2025
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Cascade Asset Management facility in Orlando, Fla.

Cascade described a year of relative stability and continued return to normalcy in the IT asset disposition market. | Courtesy of Cascade Asset Management

An annual industry overview from Cascade Asset Management found resale values have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, and a majority of surveyed IT asset managers plan to maintain or ramp up technology spending in the coming year. That suggests plenty of incoming ITAD demand. Continue Reading

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OECD nations announce individual Basel decisions

Published: January 23, 2025
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Discarded circuit boards gathered for recycling.

The 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development were required to report by Jan. 15 on how they’ll interpret the most recent Basel Convention amendment. | Sebastien Coell / ShutterStock

Countries within the OECD have announced how they’ll each enforce new Basel Convention rules. As was foreshadowed by their previous failure to agree on uniform enforcement among all members, there is a fair amount of variance by nation.

Continue Reading

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Ten e-scrap projects receive federal prize funds

Published: January 16, 2025
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Many of the awarded companies are exploring new ways of recovering rare earth magnets from end-of-life electronics. | stuphipps/Shutterstock

The Department of Energy’s aptly named E-SCRAP prize program has awarded funds to companies engaged in hard drive disassembly, rare earth magnet recovery, hydrometallurgy and e-plastics recycling. More companies are invited to apply this year. Continue Reading

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CES 2025 centers on AI and upcoming hardware needs

Published: January 9, 2025
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a keynote address to a packed crowd on the opening night of CES 2025, held this week in Las Vegas. | Photo courtesy of the Consumer Technology Association

Artificial intelligence and electric vehicles were major themes during the annual CES trade show this week, and panel discussions touched on the infrastructure – including hardware in data centers and battery recycling technology – that will be key to those segments’ growth. Continue Reading

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Equity firm acquires majority stake in Sprout

Published: January 9, 2025
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Closeup of an e-scrap motherboard.

The investment from equity firm Recognize comes after a decade of growth for Sprout. | DimiSotirov/Shutterstock

IT asset disposition company Sprout has received a majority investment from a New York City-based private equity firm, which predicts rising demand for ITAD services in the years to come. Continue Reading

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Recycling collection worker deaths climbed in 2023

Published: January 9, 2025
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Safety vests and hard hats hanging on a wall.

While overall workplace fatalities decreased in the U.S. in 2023, the waste and recycling industry was a troubling outlier. | Wave Break Media/Shutterstock

Nine workers died in U.S. materials recovery facilities in 2023 and the death rate for refuse and recyclable material collectors jumped more than 80%, according to the latest annual numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Continue Reading

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