The recently signed bill means Californians are free to fix many of their devices and appliances. | Jonathan Lenz/Shutterstock
Consumers in California now have the right to repair some of their electronic devices after Gov. Gavin Newson signed SB 244 into law Oct. 10. Continue Reading
Natalie Betts with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) speaks on ESG at the 2023 E-Scrap and E-Reuse Conference in New Orleans. | Big Wave Productions/E-Scrap News
Recycling companies big and small can benefit from publicly sharing their environmental, social and governance strategies, no matter how complicated the process might seem at first. Continue Reading
ERI’s most recent facility opening was in Goodyear, Ariz. (pictured above). | Courtesy of ERI
After facility realignment and expansion plans come to fruition, ERI may realize a total electronics processing capacity increase of up to 30%, the company’s CEO estimated. Continue Reading
From left to right: Steve Noble, Jason Linnell, Walter Alcorn, Melanie Weitzel and Chris Kaasmann. | Big Wave Productions/E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference
The number of states with e-scrap recycling programs has not changed much in the past decade, but there have been some notable updates and overhauls in recent years. Industry experts dissected those changes in a recent workshop. Continue Reading
Leaders in the ITAD realm expressed concerns about client layoffs and the overall business environment. | Sarawut Aiemsinsuk/Shutterstock
The second quarter brought generally worsening business conditions for the ITAD industry, but business leaders think they’ve hit the bottom of secondary market pricing.
A survey by E-Scrap News and consulting firm Compliance Standards asked ITAD industry leaders about IT refresh cycles, competition, used device pricing, competition, hiring and capital investments, and more for the second quarter of 2023.
“Q2 started off strong but was negatively impacted by continued variability in the reuse markets,” one participant wrote (all responses remain anonymous). “This volatility continues to be our biggest challenge although we believe it is largely driven by sentiment rather than the actual strength or weakness of the market,” according to a second-quarter survey report.
After the first-quarter survey, E-Scrap News published articles covering first-quarter assessments and generally optimistic outlooks in August.
Compliance Standards and E-Scrap News have opened their survey for the third quarter of 2023. Share your perspective to receive exclusive insights on the market.
Participate in our survey of the third quarter of 2023 to receive a free report and webinar presentation covering major takeaways. All responses remain confidential.
In the meantime, the following are some takeaways from the second-quarter report, which was provided exclusively to survey participants:
Business conditions were worse: Just over 63% said second-quarter business conditions were worse than the same quarter a year prior. During the first quarter, 56% had said they were worse year over year. The respondents also indicated things were worse than the prior quarter. Specifically, in the second quarter, 47% said business conditions were worse than in the prior quarter. During the first-quarter survey, 41% had said they were worse than the prior quarter. The same general takeaway came through from questions asking whether the number of IT refresh projects were up, down or flat year over year and sequentially.
Clients layoffs cited: A number of comments from survey takers indicated that their clients were experiencing layoffs, which was slowing business. “We are seeing more layoffs in the industry among the clients we represent with white glove services,” one respondent wrote. “Companies are being forced to take this action.” Another noted, “Many companies that initiated ITAD services RFPs, evaluations, etc., have let the individuals go who were leading the project.”
Device sales are hugely important: For the first time, the second-quarter survey asked participants about their sources of revenue. In aggregate, 40% of revenue came from the sale of used devices, 16% from sales of scrap and commodities, 14% from enterprise services such as premium data destruction, 12% from sales of harvested parts and components, and 19% from other sources (numbers total 101 due to rounding).
Big capital investments planned: Looking forward, poll takers said they’re looking to make big capital investments in their companies. During the second quarter, 33% said they plan to spend between $1 million and $5 million in capital investments over the next year, and the rest said they were looking at smaller expenditures or they didn’t know. That was way up from the first-quarter survey, when 11% pointed to $1 million to $5 million investments. Company leaders pointed to vehicle upgrades, additional facilities, equipment to remove chips, ERP software investments and other projects.
Secondary market pricing looks up: Knowing how important used device sales are to ITAD service providers, E-Scrap News and Compliance Standards asked about secondary market pricing. In these answers, there were bright spots. For example, in the second quarter, 33% of respondents said secondary market prices were flat or up year over year. That may not sound great, but in the first quarter, only 5% said they were stable or higher year over year. On a sequential basis, it was the same trend, with 54% saying second-quarter prices were stable or higher than the prior quarter. In the first quarter survey, only 20% said the same thing.
“Although we anticipate continued volatility in market pricing, we are hopeful that we’ve hit bottom and will gradually begin an upward trend,” one poll taker wrote.
Tide Rock’s acquisition of Sipi Metals’ ITAD segment is intended to reduce shipping costs through improved logistics, among other goals. | Courtesy of Full Circle Electronics
Private equity firm Tide Rock has acquired the ITAD arm of Sipi Metals, a move that roughly doubles the size of Tide Rock’s existing electronics reuse and recycling company. Continue Reading
From left to right: Steve Noble, Jason Linnell, Walter Alcorn, Melanie Weitzel and Chris Kaasmann. | Big Wave Productions/E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference
The number of states with e-scrap recycling programs has not changed much in the past decade, but there have been some notable updates and overhauls in recent years. Industry experts dissected those changes in a recent workshop. Continue Reading
Leaders in the ITAD realm expressed concerns about client layoffs and the overall business environment. | Sarawut Aiemsinsuk/Shutterstock
The second quarter brought generally worsening business conditions for the ITAD industry, but business leaders think they’ve hit the bottom of secondary market pricing.
A survey by E-Scrap News and consulting firm Compliance Standards asked ITAD industry leaders about IT refresh cycles, competition, used device pricing, competition, hiring and capital investments, and more for the second quarter of 2023.
“Q2 started off strong but was negatively impacted by continued variability in the reuse markets,” one participant wrote (all responses remain anonymous). “This volatility continues to be our biggest challenge although we believe it is largely driven by sentiment rather than the actual strength or weakness of the market,” according to a second-quarter survey report.
After the first-quarter survey, E-Scrap News published articles covering first-quarter assessments and generally optimistic outlooks in August.
Compliance Standards and E-Scrap News have opened their survey for the third quarter of 2023. Share your perspective to receive exclusive insights on the market.
Participate in our survey of the third quarter of 2023 to receive a free report and webinar presentation covering major takeaways. All responses remain confidential.
In the meantime, the following are some takeaways from the second-quarter report, which was provided exclusively to survey participants:
Business conditions were worse: Just over 63% said second-quarter business conditions were worse than the same quarter a year prior. During the first quarter, 56% had said they were worse year over year. The respondents also indicated things were worse than the prior quarter. Specifically, in the second quarter, 47% said business conditions were worse than in the prior quarter. During the first-quarter survey, 41% had said they were worse than the prior quarter. The same general takeaway came through from questions asking whether the number of IT refresh projects were up, down or flat year over year and sequentially.
Clients layoffs cited: A number of comments from survey takers indicated that their clients were experiencing layoffs, which was slowing business. “We are seeing more layoffs in the industry among the clients we represent with white glove services,” one respondent wrote. “Companies are being forced to take this action.” Another noted, “Many companies that initiated ITAD services RFPs, evaluations, etc., have let the individuals go who were leading the project.”
Device sales are hugely important: For the first time, the second-quarter survey asked participants about their sources of revenue. In aggregate, 40% of revenue came from the sale of used devices, 16% from sales of scrap and commodities, 14% from enterprise services such as premium data destruction, 12% from sales of harvested parts and components, and 19% from other sources (numbers total 101 due to rounding).
Big capital investments planned: Looking forward, poll takers said they’re looking to make big capital investments in their companies. During the second quarter, 33% said they plan to spend between $1 million and $5 million in capital investments over the next year, and the rest said they were looking at smaller expenditures or they didn’t know. That was way up from the first-quarter survey, when 11% pointed to $1 million to $5 million investments. Company leaders pointed to vehicle upgrades, additional facilities, equipment to remove chips, ERP software investments and other projects.
Secondary market pricing looks up: Knowing how important used device sales are to ITAD service providers, E-Scrap News and Compliance Standards asked about secondary market pricing. In these answers, there were bright spots. For example, in the second quarter, 33% of respondents said secondary market prices were flat or up year over year. That may not sound great, but in the first quarter, only 5% said they were stable or higher year over year. On a sequential basis, it was the same trend, with 54% saying second-quarter prices were stable or higher than the prior quarter. In the first quarter survey, only 20% said the same thing.
“Although we anticipate continued volatility in market pricing, we are hopeful that we’ve hit bottom and will gradually begin an upward trend,” one poll taker wrote.
ERI’s most recent facility opening was in Goodyear, Ariz. (pictured above). | Courtesy of ERI
After facility realignment and expansion plans come to fruition, ERI may realize a total electronics processing capacity increase of up to 30%, the company’s CEO estimated. Continue Reading
The pilot project will test if a consumer mail-in program can help increase reuse and recycling rates. | Plus69/Shutterstock
Pyxera Global, FedEx and TERRA are collaborating to find out whether mail-in collections for consumers can work at scale to generate a meaningful quantity of used devices. Continue Reading
Leaders at CompuCycle say the recently installed e-plastics line will help the company sell to the domestic market. | Courtesy of CompuCycle
Houston-based processor CompuCycle is putting the finishing touches on an e-plastics sorting line, the latest domestic investment in plastics processing capacity. Continue Reading
An Amazon worker at a reverse logistics hub holds a piece of data center equipment | Amazon
Amazon’s large-scale data center decommissioning facility coming to Pennsylvania will be a “huge part” of the company’s sustainability drive, which focuses on reusing and remanufacturing as much as possible, a company representative said. Continue Reading
Panelists at the Mobile Repair Day event that took place this week during the E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference. | Big Wave Productions/E-Scrap News
More than 1,200 electronics sustainability professionals – representing repair shops, ITAD firms, recyclers, OEMs and others – are gathering this week at the E-Scrap & E-Reuse Conference. Continue Reading
Supporters of SB 244 pose in front of a pile of laptops and other devices during a rally. | Andy Smith, Courtesy of CALPIRG
California’s right-to-repair bill for electronics awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature, and supporters are lauding the years of work it took to get to this point. Continue Reading