Copper, a key non-ferrous metal recovered from scrap electronics, has generally been climbing in value since March 2020. | kilukilu/Shutterstock
After reaching an eight-year record last year, the price of copper has continued to increase, reaching its highest level in nearly a decade.
Much like a fuel service charge that is common in the logistics industry, OnePak will be reporting a Carbon Offset Cost for each pickup. | Siwakorn1933/Shutterstock
IT asset management company OnePak recently began documenting the carbon footprint of every asset shipment, with an eye toward providing a way to offset that carbon output.
Microsoft has plans to significantly expand its data center footprint beyond the current 3 million servers and related hardware, with sustainability in mind. | Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock
A year after establishing a handful of guiding sustainability targets, Microsoft this month published a progress report. The report touched on the company’s move to increase reuse at its data centers.
Sims’ drive into the cloud was slowed by the coronavirus pandemic last year. | Maximumm/Shutterstock
Sims Lifecycle Services enjoyed a year-over-year profit boost in the latter half of 2020, although COVID-19 slowed the company’s push to recycle materials associated with cloud computing.
Aqua Metals, a lead-acid battery technology company, is moving into the lithium-ion battery recycling business. | showcake/Shutterstock
A battery recycling company goes public, North American collection numbers are released, and a lead-acid battery technology company moves into the lithium-ion realm. Those announcements were made around National Battery Day today.
European metals refining company Boliden consumed its lowest quantity of scrap circuit boards in nearly a decade last year. | haraldmuc/Shutterstock
For major e-scrap smelting companies, the turbulence of 2020 brought pandemic-driven supply disruptions as well as pricing spikes for key metals.
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is an international treaty governing how waste is moved around the world. | phil berry/Shutterstock
The Basel Convention has published multiple proposals that would restrict U.S. exports of scrap electronics. The changes will be considered at a meeting this summer.
Researchers delved into the question of exactly what is actually happening on the ground with electronics shipments to Africa. | Wead/Shutterstock
During a recent panel discussion, an e-scrap researcher and a journalist described the consequences of exporting electronics to developing nations. They also discussed how much of that material is reusable and how much is truly waste.
Ontario e-scrap firm eCycle Solutions recently announced it acquired GreenGo Recycling Depot, a metals recycling company. | kan_chana/Shutterstock
The purchase of a metals and e-scrap company will help eCycle Solutions boost its scrap electronics collection in Ontario.
BoMET is one of a number of North American companies that saw that opportunity and are investing to expand their e-plastics processing capacity. | Courtesy of BoMET Polymer Solutions
BoMET Polymer Solutions is actively sourcing e-plastics from electronics recycling firms for the company’s Ontario processing facility, where it produces pellets and regrind for sale to manufacturers.