Certification and standardized grading can bring much-needed transparency to the refurbished device market, according to the CEO of Phonecheck. | Daniel-Krason/Shutterstock
I used to run a business that acquired and sold pre-owned mobile devices. It was a great model – we could buy less-than-perfect phones and other devices inexpensively, and with a little effort and elbow grease, sell them for a bit more.
A law will allow certified, nonprofit refurbishing companies to directly obtain, refurbish and distribute surplus government computers to veterans and others in need. | Dmitry-A/Shutterstock
A new law allows the federal government to provide surplus and repairable used computers directly to nonprofit refurbishers, who will then provide them to individuals in need.
Oregon’s proposed bill would mandate access to schematics, tools and parts at a fair and reasonable cost and cover any household product – from computers to appliances – that contains digital components. | Alexey Kabanov/Shutterstock
Supporters of the right to repair consumer electronics are hoping that the third time’s the charm in Oregon.
KeyBank has provided money for dedicated space and equipment to teach financial wellness classes at RecycleForce’s new headquarters, which is under construction in Indianapolis. | Courtesy of RecycleForce
RecycleForce’s upcoming Indiana headquarters will provide not only training in e-scrap recycling but a dedicated space for financial wellness lessons, with help from KeyBank.
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.
Devices covered by the recently released interpretation include smart TVs, smart watches, fitness trackers and IP-connected home security devices. | Maridav/Shutterstock
A formal interpretation of the R2v3 standard aims to help certified facilities deal with smart devices that pose unique data sanitization challenges.
Phonecheck’s robotic system automates parts of the grading process, speeding it up significantly and eliminating subjectivity. | Courtesy of Phonecheck
A company that provides used phone history reports has formally launched a robot that automatically grades a device’s cosmetic condition, performs diagnostics and erases data.
In 2021, Intel maintained a rate of 5% total material to landfill and put circular strategies in place for 65% of its manufacturing scrap. | jejim/Shutterstock
Intel is trying several angles in pursuit of its goal to send zero waste to landfill, including redesign of circuit boards for easier recycling and educating consumers on how to recycle via a video game.
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.