It’s been 15 years since California’s e-scrap program was launched, and those years have brought significant changes to the end-of-life device stream. Now, administrators of the country’s first state program have adopted a vision for the future.
Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].It’s been 15 years since California’s e-scrap program was launched, and those years have brought significant changes to the end-of-life device stream. Now, administrators of the country’s first state program have adopted a vision for the future.
A company that has developed a bio-metallurgical recovery process for e-scrap is seeking investors to help the business scale up its operations, after reporting successful tests of the process.
Researchers have compiled data on the global generation of used and end-of-life electronics, with an eye toward determining what the future e-scrap landscape will look like.
China supplies components for a lot of equipment used in the U.S. recycling industry, meaning tariffs on Chinese imports would be felt across many recycling sectors, according to an industry association.
Processors handling non-CRT devices will be paid 60 cents a pound by the state of California, a 22 percent increase over their current payment rate.
Minnesota’s state program has released data on its first full year since legislation significantly altered the program. Although manufacturer recycling obligations are up, the volume of material recycled has fallen.
China has ratcheted up inspection requirements for recyclables imported from the U.S., requiring every load to be opened for inspection and temporarily shutting down the only organization providing pre-shipment approval in the U.S.
The processing line at Proambi’s facility in Mexico, photo courtesy of Salvador Río
Mexico may be America’s neighbor to the south, but in some ways, the e-scrap ecosystems in the two nations are worlds apart. And perhaps the biggest difference is the fact that in Mexico, an informal system of electronics collection and processing is well-established.
An online marketplace for refurbished devices has expanded into the U.S., and company leaders are looking for refurbishers to join the platform.
Daisy, Apple’s new device disassembly robot, can dismantle up to 200 devices per hour.
When it comes to in-house recycling, Apple is diving deeper into droids.