Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. After developing a special focus on recycling policy, they are also the editor of the monthly newsletter Policy Now. Heffernan can be contacted at [email protected].
Former employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development were told they would not be required to physically turn in their work devices. | -People Image Studio/Shutterstock
The U.S. government decided not to have recently fired workers return federally issued electronics, instead noting they will be “remotely sanitized,” despite the potentially sensitive information the laptops, tablets and phones may contain. Continue Reading
Courtesy of Photo Lab
In April, readers were drawn to stories about iFixit and Back Market’s partnership, details on Camston Wrather’s bankruptcy case and laws on solar panels and the right to repair in Washington. Rare earth recycling and Li-Cycle’s need for more funding also caught reader attention.
CalRecycle adjusts the amounts paid to recyclers to cover the average net costs of collecting and recycling covered products every year. | Anake Seenadee/Shutterstock
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery has proposed increasing some payment rates for processors who participate in the state e-scrap program. Continue Reading
Gov. Bob Ferguson has 20 days to sign the bills into law after they are delivered to his desk. | Zack Frank/Shutterstock
A right-to-repair electronics bill is sitting on the Washington governor’s desk, while a bill that would again delay the state’s extended producer responsibility program for solar panels is now law. Continue Reading
Back Market and iFixit announced a broad partnership that will see each integrate the other’s product offerings, as well as direct advocacy on right-to-repair legislation. | Courtesy of Back Market
Two big names in the electronics repair and refurbishment space are partnering up to influence consumer and manufacturer behavior and create a world where circularity is the default. Continue Reading
Company leaders said CTL’s acquisition of 3R Technology will open up new growth opportunities for both companies. | Loocmill/Shutterstock
CTL Corporation, an Oregon-headquartered cloud-computing company with a focus on education and enterprise, acquired ITAD firm 3R Technology in a move to create a one-stop shop for clients of both companies. Continue Reading
Li-Cycle announced that without additional funding, it will not be able to continue operations or draw down its federal loan. | T. Schneider/Shutterstock
Facing continuing losses year over year, lithium-ion battery processor Li-Cycle voiced concern in recent SEC filings about its ability to “achieve or sustain profitability” and repay its debts, as it has for several years. Continue Reading
The ESG calculator will be co-branded as an e-Stewards and Bloom ESG tool. | SWKStock/Shutterstock
E-scrap certification program e-Stewards endorsed an environmental benefits calculator from Bloom ESG, a London-based advisory firm, that can be used to quantify avoided carbon emissions and other benefits of e-scrap recycling and reuse. Continue Reading
Sixteen states have introduced bills this year addressing the right to repair electronic devices. | VILevi/Shutterstock
This year has been a busy one for policy concerning e-scrap and electronics, with several dozen bills filed in states across the country. Continue Reading
URT, one of the few companies that continues to process CRT devices, was cited in 2023 and 2024 for workplace safety issues partially due to lead and cadmium exposure. | Underworld/Shutterstock
ITAD and cathode ray tube device processor Universal Recycling Technologies announced that its e-Stewards certification will be suspended for 30 days, following an OSHA fine over worker exposure to lead and cadmium. Continue Reading