The settlement with James and Kenneth Taggart comes after nearly four years of legal battling following the 2018 bankruptcy and closure of ECS. | Nikolay Antonov/Shutterstock
James and Kenneth Taggart and their insurance provider agreed to pay $1.35 million to settle a lawsuit alleging they intentionally crippled their e-scrap company to fend off bankers who were angling for a hostile takeover.
President Biden’s comments to reporters noted his earlier executive order in support of the right to repair.| Haditha26/Shutterstock
President Joe Biden highlighted the necessity of the right to repair devices in remarks at the White House on Jan. 24.
Continue Reading
Alphabet, parent company of Google, is the latest firm to face investor activism around repair policies. | JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Activist investors have used shareholder resolutions to pressure Microsoft and Apple on their repair policies. Now, Google is feeling the heat.
Mitsubishi Materials collects and prepares e-scrap feedstock at its Netherlands company MM Metal Recycling (MMMR). | Courtesy of MMMR
Mitsubishi Materials, a global e-scrap metals recovery company, has developed a software system to ease PCB shipments, assaying and purchasing.
E-scrap recycling rates are very low in 13 Latin American countries assessed by the United Nations, highlighting a need for expanding or enforcing regulations. | Divina Epiphania/Shutterstock
Despite most countries having at least some e-scrap-related legislation, recycling rates in 13 Latin American countries are very low, at just under 3%, a U.N. report found.
The Micron 2400 SSD is available in a size as small as 22 millimeters by 30 millimeters, 63% smaller than the current benchmark of 22 by 80 mm for small-form-factor internal SSDs. | Courtesy of Micron
Micron Technology has started offering a solid-state drive it says is significantly smaller and thinner than others, potentially leading to a decrease in the use of HDDs in future laptops.
Continue Reading
Samsung recently offered a profile of the Denton family, seen here tackling e-waste by repairing old gaming systems before donating them. | Photo courtesy of Samsung
OEMs are looking at redesigning products to ease repair and recycling, and three youths are inspired to start a nonprofit group after participating in a Samsung program. At the same time, design choices from other companies end up in an unwelcome limelight.
On Jan. 18, a federal judge sentenced Jeffrey Zirkle to six months in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $126,000 in restitution to the government for a tax crime. | Chodyra Mike/Shutterstock
After serving two years behind bars, former Total Reclaim owner Jeffrey Zirkle has been sentenced to another six months. This time, he pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company and dodging taxes.