Fire Rover’s annual report found that fires that affected e-scrap facilities and drew news media coverage rose in 2023, bucking the overall trend of fewer fires across facility types. | Piotr Zajda/Shutterstock
Nine major fires were publicly reported at electronics recycling facilities in the U.S. and Canada last year, up from five the year before, according to an annual review of media coverage conducted by fire protection firm Fire Rover. Continue Reading
The 15,000-square-foot facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, will handle data center equipment and personal electronics from clients. | Courtesy of AER Worldwide
ITAD company AER Worldwide’s newest location in Hillsboro, Oregon, brings the company closer to existing clients and opens new doors in the “Silicon Forest.” Continue Reading
The U.N.’s fourth Global E-Waste Monitor report estimated 62 million metric tons of end-of-life electronics and electrical appliances were generated in 2022, of which 22.3% were recycled through formal collection systems. | SAPhotog/Shutterstock
A global analysis from the United Nations found that electronics and electrical equipment are reaching end of life at a quantity and speed that is far outpacing the recycling sector’s capacity to collect and process that material. Still, the global collection rate is on the rise. Continue Reading
Vinod Singh of Far West Recycling speaks during an Association of Oregon Recyclers presentation on recycling facility battery fires in February. | Dan Holtmeyer/Resource Recycling
At a Portland, Oregon-area transfer station, site superintendent Matt Tracy has noticed smaller lithium-ion batteries often behave like fireworks when they go into thermal runaway: They move erratically and can even become projectiles. Continue Reading
The level of activity follows expert predictions that 2024 would see an influx of right-to-repair consumer electronics bills. | Preechar Bowonkitwanchai/Shutterstock
There are over 25 bills establishing the right to repair consumer items in play across the U.S., and more than a dozen of those cover consumer electronics.
Boliden sees revenue drop following a year of lower metal prices and a fire. | Bokstaz/Shutterstock
Metal smelter and recycler Boliden, a major consumer of printed circuit boards, saw lower revenues in 2023 but used slightly more recycled materials. Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Electronics Scrap Materials Recycling Prize is a multi-phase competition for a range of electronics recycling industry players. | Morten B/Shutterstock
A technology manager with the U.S. Department of Energy said improving e-scrap management fits squarely within the federal government’s material sourcing and climate goals. That’s why the agency has launched a new funding and technical assistance opportunity targeting electronics recovery. Continue Reading