iDiskk principals Yue Zou and Lei Zhang agreed to pay a fine after the company improperly disposed of lithium-ion batteries from electronics. | XH2/Shutterstock
Improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries led to a $25,000 fine for a California recycling company after the batteries sparked several garbage truck fires.
The bill would expand OEMs’ requirements for providing public outreach and awareness, change deadlines for manufacturers to submit stewardship registration applications, and more. | DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. leaders next week will hold a hearing on legislation making various changes to the district’s extended producer responsibility program for electronics.
Glencore’s Horne smelter is facing public concerns over air pollution. | Courtesy of Glencore
The top government official in Quebec suggested public concerns over air pollution could lead the province to close Glencore’s Horne smelting site, a key downstream for North America’s 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.
Draft European regulations propose that mobile devices should include scratch resistance, protection from dust and water, resistance to accidental drops, battery longevity and the capacity to be disassembled and repaired. | ETgohome/Shutterstock
The European Commission is requesting feedback on draft regulations for designing mobile phones and tablets to be more environmentally friendly, including the issue of recyclability.
Apple plans to appeal a Brazillian Justice Ministry’s decision to fine the company for not including power chargers with iPhones sold in the country. | dan.nikonov/Shutterstock
In response to Apple’s decision not to include chargers with newly purchased phones by default, Brazil again fined the company and then banned the sale of iPhones if they do not include a power adapter.
Interpol researchers aimed to discover whether organized pollution crime is a global or localized phenomenon. | Poetra.RH/Shutterstock
A report from Interpol aimed to fill in gaps in knowledge on the link between pollution crime and organized crime, digging into 27 pollution crime case studies that averaged profits of $19.6 million per case for those involved, including electronics falsely labeled as ready for resale.
Old Dominion will pay over $1.3M for improper disposal of electronic devices, batteries and other hazardous materials. | Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock
Old Dominion Freight Line has settled a case with the state of California over allegations that the company failed to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste, including e-scrap.
New battery recycling guidelines are in development by the U.S. EPA. | Courtesy of Call2Recycle
Congress directed the U.S. EPA to develop voluntary battery recycling labeling guidelines instead of mandatory regulations, but the head of an industry group believes they’ll still have a significant impact on the industry.
An official with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control said the department is too understaffed to conduct inspections of all rage rooms to ensure they are not breaking toxic items. | correct pictures/Shutterstock
In at least two instances, California authorities have brought the hammer down on rage room operators for allowing patrons to destroy electronics and release toxic metals into the air.