Used phones of various models are fetching higher prices, according to a processor. | Daniel Krason/Shutterstock
HYLA Mobile reports prices for traded-in mobile phones have steadily increased over the last few years, and the company noted overseas markets for used 4G phones remain strong.
TERRA provides a mail-in collection service that moves e-scrap to multiple processors around the U.S. | Joni Hanebutt/Shutterstock.com
A Nebraska e-scrap company has become the fourth processor to take part in an initiative from TERRA that now covers portions of 13 states.
Megan Tabb of Synergy speaks at the 2019 E-Scrap Conference and Trade Show. | Brian Adams Photography
At the E-Scrap Conference and Trade Show last month, Megan Tabb of North Carolina processor Synergy Electronics Recycling offered advice for companies looking to remain afloat in the challenging world of CRT management.
Baltic Control has approval to inspect a variety of U.S. shipments to China | stockstudio/Shutterstock
U.S. exporters of metals to China have a new option for pre-shipment inspections, which are required for all scrap exports to the Asian country.
HP and other electronics manufacturers recently made recycling- and repair-related announcements. | BalkansCat/Shutterstock
A brand owner unveiled a printer made with 30% recycled plastic from old electronics, and iFixit gives better marks for a new Microsoft laptop.
The following are a few recent announcements from OEMs:
E-plastics recycling: HP introduced the HP Tango Terra printer, which is partially made with recycled e-plastics (30% recycled content). The device also uses cartridges made from recycled resin, including plastic that’s at risk of entering the ocean. HP and global processor Sims Recycling Solutions have a partnership focused on recycling e-plastics. HP is also involved in recovering plastics in Haiti that are at risk of washing into the sea.
Foldable phone unveiled: One OEM continues to roll out phones you can fold up, a sign of product shifts the e-scrap industry will be seeing in the coming years. PCMag.com reports Samsung demonstrated a smartphone that can be folded in one of two directions. PCMag noted the company has already marketed the Galaxy Fold but its high price and mediocre reviews limited its success. The publication also noted the first Galaxy Fold devices to be sent out for review earlier this year experienced durability problems.
Repairability improvement: The new Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is “a radical change for the better” in terms of repairability, according to Kyle Wiens of iFixit. The repair hub graded the device a 5 out of 10 for repairability, 5 points higher than the previous version of the laptop. The company noted the “opening procedure is straightforward, with a clever design that represents a dramatic improvement over its predecessors.” Still, it noted the computer has a “firmly glued-down battery.” In October, iFixit also released teardown guides rating repairability for the Apple Watch Series 5, Google Pixel 4 XL and the OnePlus 7T.
Grant money will be used to fund drop-off locations and collection events. | Bennian/Shutterstock
The state of Michigan awarded $270,000 in grants to support electronics recycling in sparsely populated areas.
News about a CRT stockpile cleanup plan drew attention last month. | Courtesy of Kentucky Division of Waste Management.
Analysis about federal purchasing, mergers and acquisitions, and a Kentucky CRT cleanup drew readers’ attention last month.
Organizations around the country will hold used computer collection and donation drives. | Y Photo Studio/Shutterstock
Digital Inclusion Week is being held next week, giving electronics refurbishment companies an opportunity to help bridge the digital divide.
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.
The 17th annual E-Scrap Conference kicked off Monday at the Hilton Orlando in Florida. | E-Scrap Conference/Brian Adams Photography.
On the opening day of the E-Scrap Conference and Trade Show, a series of workshops brought attendees up to speed on some of the most critical topics in electronics recovery.
Server farms typically refresh their equipment every three to five years. | Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
A data center decommissioning firm is expanding its operations, and a new company leader says this sector of the e-scrap industry will grow alongside the exponential increase in cloud computing.
Ingram Micro committed to having all of its processing facilities achieve e-Stewards certification within three years. | POP-THAILAND/Shutterstock
A nationwide electronics stewardship group has agreed to make its best effort to only contract with e-Stewards-certified processors. Meanwhile, a global ITAD firm will seek e-Stewards certification for all its facilities.
Rare earth metals from production scrap will make their way into Apple iPhones. | MikeDotta/Shutterstock
Apple will start using post-industrial recycled rare earths in its iPhones, a company executive told Reuters.
About 8 million pounds of TVs are stored on pallets at the former GES site in Winchester, Ky. | Courtesy of Kentucky Division of Waste Management.
In Kentucky, a treatment additive will be mixed into millions of pounds of leaded CRT glass, allowing for relatively cheap disposal of the problematic material in a non-hazardous waste landfill.