U.S. e-scrap processors and brokers say they’re currently able to move e-plastics. | Alexey Lesik/Shutterstock
Asia remains the destination for many plastics recovered from electronics. But as buyers relocate from China to other countries, prices are down and quality and volume are increasingly critical factors.
In Vancouver, Wash., Simon Metals operated a 55,000-square-foot end-of-life electronics processing facility. The facility is now owned by Metro Metals Northwest. | Jared Paben/E-Scrap News
A major Pacific Northwest e-scrap processor has been acquired, and a company manager anticipates the new owners will expand its electronics recycling capabilities.
PCs for People handles about 3,500 computers a month. | Courtesy of PCs for People
PCs for People, a nonprofit group that performs ITAD services for businesses and provides refurbished computers to low-income people, is growing its processing footprint in three cities.
Ken Ehresman, president of Advanced Technology Recycling. | E-Scrap Conference and Trade Show/Brian Adams Photography
Finding ways to grow or differentiate one’s business is key to viability. During a panel discussion at the E-Scrap Conference last month, several operators opened up on their successful strategies.
Quantum Lifecycle Partners doesn’t have plans to shut down any of the facilities previously operated by Shift Group or GEEP Canada. | KPixMining/Shutterstock
GEEP Canada and the Shift Group of Companies recently merged to form the largest e-scrap company in Canada. An executive at the firm said a crowded marketplace and evolving materials stream helped drive the move.
The FPD PRO can handle devices with displays sizes from 11 inches to 70 inches. | Courtesy of FPD Recycling
A startup led by recycling industry veterans has developed a robotic system for removing hazardous substances from flat-panel display devices. The system is expected to come to a U.S. facility soon.
Total Reclaim’s staff has been cut in half in recent years as the company dealt with fallout from an export scandal.
A West Coast processor that earlier this year saw its founders sentenced to prison is now being led by Bobby Farris, who has worked for a variety of recycling companies. He says the firm’s brand can be rebuilt. Continue Reading
The bankruptcy filing indicates Rivore Metals has between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities and less than $50,000 in assets. | Nuangthong/Shutterstock
A metals recycling company that buys and sells e-scrap recently declared bankruptcy and is reorganizing its business to remain operational.
An ISRI commissioned study found that the U.S. recycling industry directly and indirectly supports nearly 532,000 jobs. | priscilla list/Shutterstock
A recently released study estimates the U.S. recycling industry will have a nearly $110 billion economic impact this year. That’s about 6% lower than the number from two years ago.
Discarded electronics are estimated to reach 122 million short tons per year around the globe by 2050. | Petra Nowack/Shutterstock
A United Nations-backed study predicts massive growth in global tonnages of end-of-life electronics, and it examines how the recycling sector can best prepare.