Few people in recycling carry as much institutional memory as Jerry Powell. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he came up through hands-on operations before realizing the industry’s biggest need was trustworthy information and connection. He went on to found Resource Recycling, Inc., the company behind Resource Recycling, Plastics Recycling Update and E-Scrap News.
Record July and August fires at MRFs highlight the “vape effect” with lithium-ion batteries driving rising risks, Fogelman’s report finds. | Photo courtesy Cocke County Fire Department
Waste and recycling facilities across the United States and Canada saw another surge in fires this summer, with July and August setting back-to-back monthly records, according Ryan Fogelman, VP of Fire Protection at Fire Rover. Continue Reading
OnePlanet appointed Nathan Arbitman as chief commercial officer to scale US solar panel recycling, with a 2027 plant aiming to process over 2 million modules yearly. | Photo courtesy of OnePlanet
OnePlanet Solar Recycling, based in Jacksonville, Florida, has appointed Nathan Arbitman as its first chief commercial officer, as the company moves to scale solar panel recycling operations. The announcement follows OnePlanet’s $7 million seed round and plans for a $90 million industrial facility in Florida. Continue Reading
EcoBatt, part of the EcoCycle Group, is opening a Melbourne plant to recover in-device batteries. | Photo Courtesy of Gloyd Recycling Solutions
A new Battery-in-Device Shredding (BIDS) facility in Melbourne will start operations shortly, according to its backers, who say the site will tackle the growing problem of batteries hidden in everyday products and the risks they pose when discarded. Continue Reading
Consumers received $1.34 billion from mobile trade-ins in Q2 2025, a 60% jump on the year, as device ages hit a record 3.88 years and AI-capable phones spur upgrade interest. | Karen Poghosyan1/Shutterstock
Assurant’s latest quarterly snapshot of the secondary smartphone market shows a record haul for consumers and a steady rise in device age, suggesting upgrade timing is being shaped by a mix of richer mobile provider promotions and emerging interest in on-device AI.
Cirba executive Danielle Spalding urges producers to prepare for battery EPR laws amid fire risks, reporting demands and embedded device challenges. | Windcolors/Shutterstock
Battery recycling company Cirba Solutions is positioning itself as a compliance partner for producers as state-level extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules bring new obligations across the United States.
Visia’s internal analysis shows facilities that adopt the technology often record a 30% to 50% reduction in thermal events. | Photo courtesy of Visia
Visia’s effort to curb battery-related fires in recycling facilities is beginning to show measurable results, according to new data from the company’s first wave of commercial installations.
The new private equity group is launching a recycling platform to build US supply of critical metals for aerospace and defense applications. | Nomad Soul / Shutterstock
EverMetal Holdings has entered the US recycling market with the acquisition of CAI Custom Alloys, marking the debut of a private equity-backed platform focused on critical metals used in aerospace, defense, power generation and technology.
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Pulse Supply Chain Solutions has opened a 15,000-square-foot facility in Dallas for device repair and recovery, expanding services and boosting certified reuse capacity. | Pulse Supply Chain Solutions
Texas-based Pulse Supply Chain Solutions has opened a new facility in its home state, expanding the company’s footprint and capabilities in electronics reuse. Continue Reading
Iron Mountain posted record Q2 revenue and raised its 2025 outlook, driven by growth in digital services, data centers, and asset lifecycle management, with strong global momentum. | Photo Courtesy of Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain reported a sharp jump in asset lifecycle management (ALM) revenue in the second quarter, helping drive record results and a full-year forecast raise as demand grows for secure IT asset disposition and data center decommissioning services. Continue Reading