Staff at KC Recycling in Trail, B.C. | Courtesy of KC Recycling.
KC Recycling, which prepares CRT glass for Teck’s lead smelter in British Columbia, is doubling its glass-processing capacity. The move is in response to Glencore closing its New Brunswick smelter.
Michael Collins, CEO of eCycle Solutions
One of Canada’s largest commodities-focused processors, eCycle Solutions, says a recent business acquisition will allow it to quickly expand ITAD services across the country.
The U.S. recycling rate for consumer electronics has been trending downward since 2014.
The U.S. recycling rate for consumer electronics took a dive in 2016 and flatlined the following year, according to the U.S. EPA.
Cedric Carter (left) speaks during a session at the 2019 E-Reuse Conference. Rike Sandlin (center) and Bob McCarthy look on. | Dan Leif/Resource Recycling, Inc.
In sessions at last week’s E-Reuse Conference in Texas, a number of industry veterans detailed concepts that can help e-scrap and ITAD companies run leaner, more profitable plants.
A view of Glencore’s smelter in Belledune, New Brunswick. | Google Street View
Glencore is permanently closing its New Brunswick lead smelter, which consumes millions of pounds of CRT glass each year.
Regulators are looking at lithium-ion battery labeling requirements, but improper collection of the batteries is just one of their recycling challenges. | Allyson Kitts/Shutterstock
California officials are considering regulating lithium-ion battery labels, but an e-scrap processor says they’re missing a bigger issue: Battery-containing electronics are increasingly expensive to process.
Alex Cummings and Arun Karottu of ITAD firm SMR Worldwide. | Photos courtesy SMR Worldwide
With low values for e-scrap commodities, component harvesting can be a strategy for generating more revenue for both the client and processor. It’s a strategy our company, SMR Worldwide, uses when possible, as we have the ability to process a far broader variety of IT assets at a wider range of life cycle stages compared with competitors (SMR processes assets across 250-plus product categories, including 27,000-plus unique SKUs) in our SmartERP client portal.
ERI drop-off bins will be installed in select Amazon Hub Locker+ locations. | Photo from Amazon Secure Electronics Recycling Bins website
Amazon is contracting with nationwide processor ERI to provide free collection for certain electronics at Amazon pick-up locations in 10 cities.
Processor EPC expanded globally in a relatively short period of time using a partnership model. | Pushish Images/Shutterstock
ITAD firms are increasingly asked to provide international service for their customers, but that can be an expensive endeavor. A Midwest-based processor recently laid out the benefits of partnering with foreign service providers.
Federal funding will target e-scrap separation for metals and plastics recovery. | Jer123 / Shutterstock
A government-backed institute that has funded e-scrap recycling research in recent years is accepting applications for another round of grants.