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Author Archives: Marissa Heffernan

About Marissa Heffernan

Marissa HeffernanMarissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Research group licenses method of precious metal recovery

Published: August 25, 2022
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Closeup of a printed circuitboard

Researchers have been granted a technology license for a method to recover precious metals from personal computers. | Dario Lo Presti/Shutterstock

A public-private research group established by the United States Department of Energy granted a technology license for a way to use gas-assisted solvents to extract precious metals from used electronics more easily.

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Washington Post: Time to end planned obsolescence

Published: August 10, 2022
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Washington Post building exterior.

A columnist with The Washington Post called for an end to planned obsolescence and adding repairability scores to packaging. | Nicole Glass Photography/Shutterstock

A major news outlet released an analysis of 14 popular consumer devices, finding that most could stop working in three to four years because of batteries that are impossible to replace.

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Modernizing the marketplace: RGX connects clients, recyclers

Published: August 4, 2022
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Corporate clients and recyclers can connect on the RGX platform to make electronics asset disposal more efficient. | Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

This story has been corrected. 

Sean Miles sees his marketplace platform as the glue between corporate customers and recyclers, a connection that could perhaps patch up a fragmented system.

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Trucking company to pay $1.36 million in hazardous waste case

Published: August 4, 2022
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Old Dominion Freight Line truck parked in a garage.

Old Dominion will pay over $1.3M for improper disposal of electronic devices, batteries and other hazardous materials. | Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

Old Dominion Freight Line has settled a case with the state of California over allegations that the company failed to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste, including e-scrap.

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C-suite survey shows sustainability top choice for cuts

Published: August 4, 2022
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Business management meeting with documents.

Nearly 40% of surveyed CFOs and CEOs said that sustainability initiatives would be the first cut in tight financial times. | Jirapong Manustrong/Shutterstock

A survey of CEOs and chief financial officers suggested that when businesses are considering cuts amid current economic headwinds, sustainability initiatives are among the first to go.

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Global smartphone shipments fall in second quarter

Published: July 28, 2022
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Smartphones in store.

An analyst noted that component supply backups and cost pressures are starting to ease up, but there are still some problems with logistics and production. | Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock

Demand for smartphones is starting to decline, with research finding that worldwide smartphone shipments fell 9% in the second quarter of 2022, compared to the same period last year.

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Equipment Spotlight: Impact mill handles lithium-ion batteries

Published: July 28, 2022
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Battery Master Mill

The Battery Master Mill is designed for the post-treatment and ball shaping of anode and cathode material to remove the black mass from the anode and cathode foils. | Courtesy of swissRTec

Recycling technology company swissRTec has developed the Battery Master Mill to handle anode and cathode material from lithium-ion batteries.
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Acid-free tech will make rare earth recycling more feasible

Published: July 21, 2022
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Circuit boards gathered for recycling.

An acid-free dissolution method can selectively target rare earths for extraction. | Bokstaz/Shutterstock

A technology that will allow recyclers to extract valuable metals from e-scrap like shredded hard drives without affecting the other materials is entering its pilot plant stage.

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