With roots in policy, a pivot to recycling, and passion for music, ARCOA’s Joe Clayton shows how reuse and rock ’n’ roll can both stand the test of time. | Photo courtesy of ARCOA / Joe Clayton
Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Joe Clayton has spent a career blending environmental ideals with business pragmatism, moving from grassroots activism to leadership in IT asset disposition.
During Fire Prevention Safety Week, recyclers, regulators and companies spotlight new suppression systems, state policy and public campaigns to cut fire risks. | Mikele Dray / Shutterstock
Fire Prevention Safety Week, running from October 5 to 11, is arriving as recycling operators, policymakers and industry suppliers intensify efforts to confront the rising threat of lithium-ion battery fires in the waste stream.
From campus recycling crusader to Cascade president, Neil Peters-Michaud has shaped ITAD for 25 years, with Radiohead, Rivian road trips and axe throwing on the side. | Photo courtesy of Neil Peters-Michaud/Cascade Asset Management
Raised in Silicon Valley, Neil Peters-Michaud has built a career at the intersection of environmental advocacy, public policy and electronics reuse. He carried an early conservation ethic into his studies and campus projects at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he pushed practical waste-reduction efforts that paired savings with sustainability.
Ex-Glencore recycling chief Kunal Sinha launches Valor, a New York startup touting faster, cheaper, cleaner mineral processing. | Photo Instagram/Glencore
Kunal Sinha, the former head of Glencore’s recycling business, has launched a metals processing startup in New York, which he claims could reduce both the cost and time required to refine copper and other minerals essential for modern industries. Continue Reading
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 to 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.