The U.S. Department of Energy has released a five-year action plan for cutting the cost of recycling photovoltaic (PV) materials in half. | lccarvalho/Shutterstock
It’s generally cheaper to landfill old solar panels than it is to recycle them. The U.S. Department of Energy wants to change that.
Shredded batteries at the Princeton NuEnergy facility in Bordentown, N.J. | Molly Seltzer, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Courtesy of Princeton University
Partnerships and plans to expand lithium-ion battery recycling are moving forward globally, with several companies announcing collaborations, funding and construction progress.
The U.S. government is investing millions of dollars to develop technologies to recover rare earths, such as neodymium. | RHJPhtotoandilustration/Shutterstock
The U.S. military has kickstarted a $5 million project to research and develop technologies for recovering critical metals from e-scrap.
An analysis shows electronics repair and recycling firms received over $600 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans. | Kmpzzz/Shutterstock
Electronics repair and maintenance businesses received about $606 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, a sum that includes over $166 million received after Congress allowed certain companies to take a second bite at the PPP apple.
Researchers are calling for more research into the toxicity and risks of new types of antioxidants that e-scrap workers can become exposed to. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling, Inc.
E-scrap facility workers are being exposed to new types of synthetic antioxidants used in plastics and rubbers, with unknown health consequences, according to recent research.
The value of used servers skyrocketed 71% over the last three years, according to Cascade Asset Management’s report. | Mikhail Starodubov/Shutterstock
The value of refurbished laptops and servers in 2021 remained higher than pre-pandemic, according to a report from Cascade Asset Management, though laptop prices fell slightly from 2020 highs.
E-scrap recycling rates are very low in 13 Latin American countries assessed by the United Nations, highlighting a need for expanding or enforcing regulations. | Divina Epiphania/Shutterstock
Despite most countries having at least some e-scrap-related legislation, recycling rates in 13 Latin American countries are very low, at just under 3%, a U.N. report found.
Cascadia Consulting Group estimated Washington residents and businesses threw away 41,441 tons of electronics in the 2020-21 audit period. | Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
As COVID-19 took hold and e-scrap collection opportunities were canceled, the public began trashing a lot more of their electronics in Washington state, according to recently reported figures.
Analysts suggest there is not a critical mass of end-of-life EV batteries available to support fast scaling of the industry. | Sergii Chernov/Shutterstock
Lithium-ion battery recycling facilities are being announced with greater frequency, many aiming to capture the emerging supply of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries. But a research firm says several factors will prevent this industry from ramping up until after 2030.
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A number of industry stakeholders are involved in a project researching solar panel recycling. | Michael Vi/Shutterstock
ERI, Sunnking, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and other familiar industry names are involved with research projects that received funding this month.