
Industry group ISRI said that updated import guidelines are an acknowledgement from China that scrap materials are products, not waste. | Maha Heang 245789/Shutterstock
Chinese authorities have published updated standards for imports of recovered brass, copper and aluminum. They’re set to go into effect on Nov. 1.

Businesses of all sizes have put increased focus on workforce diversity during the past year. | Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock
Electronics recycling leaders say a focus on representation as well as changes in corporate hiring and promotion practices can lead to a more diverse industry, in terms of both gender and race.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021 smartphones, TVs, laptops and some appliances sold in France will receive a repairability score in the form of a sticker on the product’s packaging. | Preechar Bowonkitwanchai/Shutterstock
Looking to extend the lifetime of electronics, French officials plan to introduce a rating system that communicates repairability and durability to consumers.

Remote audits have become a more common option in recent months. | shelleygraphy/Shutterstock
The coronavirus has forced e-scrap companies to navigate material supply shifts, tackle new safety concerns and confront wider economic uncertainty. Another complication to add to the list: certification audits.

The Treasury Department fine against Morgan Stanley was related to a 2016 decommissioning of two Wealth Management business data centers in the U.S., as well as ITAD vendor control management deficiencies in 2019. The company doesn’t believe any client information has been accessed or misused.| Ken Wolter/Shutterstock
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a major fine to Morgan Stanley for improper management of drives. Executives in the electronics recovery sector say the case reaffirms the warnings they have been giving to corporate partners for years.

A processing line inside the 140,000-square-foot facility Sage recently occupied in Sparks, Nevada.
Business opportunities before and amid COVID-19 have helped drive capacity growth at reuse-focused Sage Sustainable Electronics.

Reuse and repair advocates recently launched an event to run as an alternative to Amazon’s “Prime Day.” | Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
A U.S. Senator advocates for right-to-repair policies, and refurbishment stakeholders launch an alternative to an event they say promotes consumerism.

Apple alleges its damages total $30 million Canadian, deriving from lost profits from gray-markets sales and injury to Apple’s brand image and trademarks. | IRENE COLL INGLES/Shutterstock
Apple claims GEEP Canada employees hid Apple devices out of view of an e-scrap facility’s cameras, mislabeled devices as “copper bearings” for outbound shipping, and then received kickbacks for illegally reselling them.

The Basel Action Network recently publicized a Thai government decision making official a previously announced ban on e-scrap imports. | KAMONRAT/Shutterstock
The Basel Action Network this week announced changes in an overseas e-scrap import policy, and the group said an OEM broke its own policies by shipping several low-value devices to Guatemala.
