Samsung recently offered a profile of the Denton family, seen here tackling e-waste by repairing old gaming systems before donating them. | Photo courtesy of Samsung
OEMs are looking at redesigning products to ease repair and recycling, and three youths are inspired to start a nonprofit group after participating in a Samsung program. At the same time, design choices from other companies end up in an unwelcome limelight.
On Jan. 18, a federal judge sentenced Jeffrey Zirkle to six months in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $126,000 in restitution to the government for a tax crime. | Chodyra Mike/Shutterstock
After serving two years behind bars, former Total Reclaim owner Jeffrey Zirkle has been sentenced to another six months. This time, he pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company and dodging taxes.
At the 2021 E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference, the “Diving Into Materials Markets” panel featured moderator Adam Shine of Sunnking, Chris Ko of ER2, Kevin Corrigan of Ingram Micro and Brian Diesselhorst of Igneo. | Dan Leif/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Shipments of new devices continue to experience substantial delays due to pandemic-related trends. According to processors, this fact could drive further demand for refurbished devices.
A top e-waste researcher and author argues Apple’s recent self-repair program announcement is undermined by the OEM’s wider strategies around device design. | ErickPHOTOPRO/Shutterstock
The 131,000-square-foot space that had been leased by Closed Loop at 2200 Fairwood Ave. was cleaned up as of July 14, 2021. | Courtesy of Ensafe’s closure report.
On the final day of 2021, a judge approved Kuusakoski’s $6 million legal settlement with Ohio warehouse owners, marking a major milestone in the years-long Closed Loop CRT cleanup case.
Back Market will use the latest funding round to fuel its growth, including more than doubling its U.S. workforce. | Freedomz/Shutterstock
Back Market, an online marketplace selling refurbished electronics, has now raised over $1 billion in investment backing in recent years.
An article on copper market analysis topped the most-read list in 2021. | Flegere / Shutterstock
As the e-scrap and ITAD industry plunges into 2022, it can be useful to set the stage with a look at the biggest trends and developments of the past 12 months.
Responding to recent criticism of certifications generally, e-Stewards leadership argues standards have evolved to be more user friendly and are prepared to address a rapidly changing industry. | sasirin pamai/Shutterstock
Cascadia Consulting Group estimated Washington residents and businesses threw away 41,441 tons of electronics in the 2020-21 audit period. | Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
As COVID-19 took hold and e-scrap collection opportunities were canceled, the public began trashing a lot more of their electronics in Washington state, according to recently reported figures.
ERI in 2019 brought on-line the Electronic Recyclers Next Innovative Efficiency (ERNIE) system for dismantling flat-screen devices. The robotic system was first installed at the company’s Fresno, Calif. headquarters. | Photo from ERI’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Data Security Report
ERI recycled 113.7 million pounds of scrap electronics and resold 4.3 million pounds of used devices in 2020, the company recently disclosed. It’s the first time the processor has released these figures.