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].
A large fire erupted this month at a building used for battery recycling by Interco Trading in Illinois. | Courtesy of Madison County, Ill. Emergency Management Agency
A fire at e-scrap recycler Interco Trading on Aug. 10 drew more than 200 firefighters, injured one worker and triggered shelter-in-place warnings for nearby residents.
An e-scrap processing firm is under investigation for allegedly purchasing stolen catalytic converters. | Courtesy of Fremont Police Department
Arrow Recovery is under investigation by local police for buying large quantities of black market catalytic converters, despite some having “stolen” etched onto them by undercover officers.
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.
Walmart’s refurbished electronics marketplace will only include products in excellent technical condition. | chrisdorney/Shutterstock
Following other big companies such as Amazon and eBay, Walmart launched a platform called Walmart Restored for selling refurbished electronics.
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working toward commercializing their rare earth element recovery technology. | KPixMining/Shutterstock
Chemical engineers have successfully scaled up a method for recycling rare earth elements using membrane solvent extraction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.