The research project focused on recovering cobalt, tantalum, neodymium, tungsten and gallium, materials that were chosen due to their relative scarcity and cost. | Courtesy of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology.
A four-year research project has developed an automated system that uses lasers to identify and remove components while dismantling electronics.
The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling is calling for a change to Executive Order 12999, which directs federal agencies to distribute retired assets to nonprofit organizations for refurbishment and distribution to schools. | Fedor Sidorov/Shutterstock
A coalition of electronics recycling companies wants to see change in a government rule that prevents federal agencies from distributing surplus IT equipment to for-profit processors.
The Basel Action Network estimates that since the EarthEye program started over a dozen customers have used the trackers. | Aunging/Shutterstock
Samsung is deploying 40 GPS trackers a year to follow the downstream movement of scrap electronics. Processors, including Kuusakoski, have used the devices to track the movement of recovered commodities.
Many recycling-related organizations have spoken out in the weeks following the May 25 death of George Floyd. | Anton27/Shutterstock
E-scrap processors, ITAD firms, OEMs and other recycling stakeholders are joining the call to oppose racism and work for systemic change.
Former e-scrap executive Robert Boston remains in prison in Beaver, W.Va. with an April 8, 2027 release date. | New Africa/Shutterstock
A federal appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison sentence for Robert M. Boston, who led the now-closed e-scrap startup Zloop before he was convicted of financial crimes.
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. | mayday6510/Shutterstock
Multiple countries are proposing to expand restrictions on the global movement of discarded electronics.
Public demonstrations against racism and police brutality are pushing forward a national conversation. | Dev Chatterjee/Shutterstock
The revised standard will replace R2:2013, to which over 950 facilities around the world are currently certified. | Castleski/Shutterstock
After thousands of volunteer hours and dozens of meetings over nearly five years, stakeholders working to update the R2 standard have reached the finish line.
A photo from consulting firm AECOM shows a view inside of 1655 Watkins Road in 2015, when Closed Loop still operated in the space.
E-scrap company Novotec will be paid up to $14 million to recycle or dispose of over 128 million pounds of CRT materials at former Closed Loop Refining and Recovery warehouses in Ohio, newly released documents show.
Charging documents state that as of November 2016, 5R Processors had accumulated and stored over 8 million pounds of leaded CRT glass across multiple sites. | Valery Evlakhov/Shutterstock
Leaders of a Wisconsin e-scrap processor last month were charged with violating federal regulations covering the storage and transportation of CRT glass. The defendants signed plea deals in the case.