The federal agency is chiefly concerned with the batteries’ propensity for starting fires. | Allyson Kitts/Shutterstock
The U.S. EPA recently clarified that lithium-ion batteries should be treated as hazardous waste, but did not yet change current recycling rules and regulations. Continue Reading
The CEO of Pennsylvania-based eLoop attributes the buildup of CRTs to a narrowing downstream and pandemic-related challenges. | Dongseun Yang/Shutterstock
Pandemic-era business conditions and the closure of a CRT outlet contributed to eLoop violating CRT accumulation rules last year, the CEO said. Now, the processor and regulators are working out a mandatory plan to clear out the stockpile. Continue Reading
Legislators in the Gopher State have taken language from two right-to-repair bills and inserted it into the state’s budget. | Anton Starikov/Shutterstock
By incorporating language from previous bills into its budget, Minnesota has now become the second state in the nation to enact a right to repair digital devices. Continue Reading
Some aspects of the state’s e-waste law require clarification, but California officials expect a significant expansion of covered items.| Africa Studio/Shutterstock
In the future, e-scrap processors in California could receive state money to recycle electric toothbrushes, electronic greeting cards, toys and a host of other items with embedded batteries, state regulators recently suggested. Continue Reading
A patent dispute over screens may have wider implications for both consumers and the electronics repair industry. | Leszek Kobusinski/Shutterstock
A complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission by one of the world’s biggest smartphone companies seeks to halt imports of some aftermarket screens into the U.S., threatening the supply of parts to independent repair shops. Continue Reading
Hong Kong courts convicted seven importers of illegally bringing in e-scrap from several countries. The U.S. was on the list of exporting countries.
E-scrap materials, including CRT glass, sit abandoned in rural Wyoming, with the site’s former owner in prison and regulatory agencies still working to determine who should handle a cleanup.
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.
TJX owns approximately 340 T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores in California. | Idealphotographer/Shutterstock
The Massachusetts-based parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods was ordered by a judge to pay $2.05 million for unlawful disposal of e-scrap, batteries and other hazardous waste in California.
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.