PCs for People has collected nearly 1,000 computers from the Cook County area in the last year. | Courtesy of PCs for People
PCs for People has opened a permanent home in the Chicagoland area, allowing the nonprofit electronics processor to better address the region’s gaping digital divide.
ITAD service providers saw used equipment prices skyrocket during the pandemic; now they have to reckon with a market leveling out at lower values amid recession worries. | Ari N/Shutterstock
Prices for refurbished PCs have fallen in the past year alongside ongoing uncertainty in the economy, but ITAD players said the market appears to have leveled off – for now.
Microsoft is also working to expand its authorized repair network by early 2023, for customers who do not want to attempt repairs themselves. | Chie Inoue/Shutterstock
A recent teardown analysis by iFixit found that Microsoft made progress on its repairability improvement promises with the Surface Pro 9.
Working with the two laptop distribution nonprofits, AT&T will help provide a total of 26,000 computers to those in need as part of the company’s $2 billion commitment, announced in 2021, to address the digital divide. | GaudiLab/Shutterstock
AT&T recently contributed $10 million and employee time to help nonprofit processors bridge the digital divide.
Researchers evaluated 1,003 life cycle reports from various manufacturers to determine the amount of carbon dioxide emissions created during the life span of products. | Maxx-Studio/Shutterstock
To help cut growing greenhouse gas emissions from electronics, researchers are suggesting extending the life spans of devices.
DHL’s turnkey service includes a customer portal for easy label printing and return. | Christian Mueller/Shutterstock
International logistics company DHL is leveraging its 1,200 worldwide sites to bring electronics resale, refurbishment and recycling services to the 140 countries it operates in.
A data wiping company executive makes the case that ITAD firms can benefit by wiping and reselling devices, particularly Chromebooks, from K-12 schools. | CC Photo Labs/Shutterstock
Lenovo uses both post-industrial and post-consumer plastics in laptops, desktops, workstations, monitors and accessories. | Hernan E. Schmidt/Shutterstock
Lenovo is using more recycled materials in its products and working toward a circular economy, even as a recent study from the company found that only half of senior IT business leaders are aware of the economic value of e-scrap.
Hawaiian legislators passed an update to the state’s electronics EPR program, making manufacturer recycling targets weight-based instead of calculated by market share. | Jeff Whyte/Shutterstock
Hawaii had to suspend free e-scrap collection in the state earlier this year after the program ran out of funds early, but the state legislature has passed a law to address the problem.
Researchers have been granted a technology license for a method to recover precious metals from personal computers. | Dario Lo Presti/Shutterstock
A public-private research group established by the United States Department of Energy granted a technology license for a way to use gas-assisted solvents to extract precious metals from used electronics more easily.