The electronics recovery business is escaping widespread regulations that are closing companies in other fields. | Mikhail Starodubov/Shutterstock
E-scrap and ITAD operations are largely falling into the category of essential services amid the coronavirus pandemic. Although that doesn’t mean smooth sailing, it allows recycling facilities to stay open alongside other critical industries.
ITADCentral provides a hub for vendors to list their services and ITAD customers to seek providers tailored to their specific needs. | Plus69/Shutterstock
An ITAD veteran recently launched a platform connecting service providers with enterprise customers, with a goal of refreshing what he calls an “archaic” industry practice: the request-for-proposal process.
The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $377 billion for small businesses. | ItzaVU/Shutterstock
The bipartisan stimulus bill signed into law by President Trump last week includes hundreds of billions of dollars in assistance to companies with fewer than 500 employees.
E-scrap company eCycleSecure shipped over 7 million pounds of CRT materials to Closed Loop in Columbus, Ohio. | underworld/Shutterstock
A $900,000 settlement has been reached in the lawsuit over Closed Loop Refining and Recovery’s abandoned CRT materials in Ohio, the largest agreement yet.
Battery fires are an increasingly relevant concern for electronics recycling facilities. | zeyaman/Shutterstock
A recently published guidance document helps recycling facilities draft plans to avert and mitigate fires.
Leaders at both R2 and e-Stewards cited safety concerns for recycling and refurbishing operations as well as the auditors that visit them. | Courtesy R2 Corporation
The administrators of e-scrap standards are adjusting auditing and certification procedures in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. R2 and e-Stewards both published guidance on the temporary policies this week.
ITAD company EPC reported a sharp increase in demand for notebook, tablet and desktop PCs throughout the U.S. and Canada as the need to work from home grows. | Sally B/Shutterstock
Processors across the U.S. say the coronavirus and resulting work-from-home orders have energized the market for refurbished electronics. In some cases, they can’t keep up with the needs of customers.
Best Buy on March 22 announced its retail stores would close to the public and temporarily suspend recycling activities. | LukeandKarla.Travel/Shutterstock
Citing concerns over COVID-19, a major retailer, the largest U.S. city and a handful of other electronics recycling collection channels have paused services.
E-scrap processors report coronavirus-driven disruptions both with vendors and customers. | joshimerbin/Shutterstock
The global escalation of COVID-19 is causing supplier and customer disruption for e-scrap processors, while on a wider scale it constrains global shipping, dents stock prices and threatens an economic recession.
The cause of the fire had not been determined and remains under investigation. | Torychemistry/Shutterstock
E-scrap processor Interco Trading says it’s open and operating normally after a large fire broke out in one of its warehouses last week.