Nearly 300 IT product refurbishing experts convened in New Orleans this week to consider industry trends and to address barriers to growth. The event was the 14th annual Electronics Reuse Conference, now operated by the consulting firm E-Reuse Services.
Lawmakers hear testimony from Ned Eldridge of eLoop (left), Michele Nestor of Nestor Resources and Bob Bylone of the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center.
Manufacturers say proposed changes to Pennsylvania’s e-scrap program would make it the worst in the country from an OEM perspective. Proponents, however, note the bill fixes dire problems that have led to rampant CRT dumping statewide.
Regulators say 1.6 million pounds of computers and monitors were recycled through the Oklahoma state program last year, the lowest weight in six years.
Rhode Island’s e-scrap law received some updates this month, requiring certain manufacturers to join the state-run collection program while allowing more flexibility for OEMs running independent plans.
A confluence of factors has led logistics experts to predict that American firms, including those in the recycling industry, will experience higher over-the-road shipping costs in the next six months.
Regulators in California are studying a number of legislative fixes to the nation’s longest-running e-scrap program, including expanding the existing consumer-funded model or going with a more commonly used system financed by OEMs.
Seattle-based processor Total Reclaim has been fined by state regulators, who allege it speculatively accumulated mercury-bearing flat-panel TVs and monitors.
Environmental advocacy group Greenpeace has scored a handful of the top consumer electronics manufacturers on the recyclability of their devices, among other criteria. Although some companies stood out as positive examples, the report found there is much room for improvement.
Proposed legislation dramatically overhauls Pennsylvania’s e-scrap program, adding a point-of-sale fee on certain devices and making manufacturers financially responsible for end-of-life management of all devices collected under the law.
Sarah Murray of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources speaks at E-Scrap 2017.
When it comes to CRT management, the profit is shaky and the industry is littered with horror stories of stockpiles and legal battles to determine who pays for cleanup.