Ohio EPA Expands Agency Recycling Program to Include Phones 4 Food Program

Posted on June 14, 2011 by admin

Ohio EPA is using SmartRecycle’s “Phones 4 Food” program to recycle electronic devices and printer cartridges, the result of which will expand recycling efforts and set a good example at its Central Office location. Proceeds are donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank’s Operation Feed.

Electronic devices accepted include cell phones, MP3 players and digital cameras. The recycling program allows employees to donate working and non-working devices. All phones and accessories are re-purposed in a zero-waste, environmentally friendly way. Cell phones are either refurbishing or reused. Unusable metal or plastic components are smelted at a U.S. EPA-certified facility. One hundred percent of the consumer’s data is scrubbed from devices using data disposition technology. All SIM cards are shredded and destroyed. All old or broken electronic devices are recycled but do not create revenue for Operation Feed.

In addition, Ohio EPA is adding a program to collect name brand printer cartridges. Printer cartridges would be reused when possible, and these donations also benefit Operation Feed. Employees are encouraged to bring cell phones and cartridges into the office from home for recycling. Brand name cartridges will be recycled by SmartRecycle, while store brand and remanufactured cartridges also are being recycled through Davis Laser Products.

This new effort builds on a very successful recycling program for paper, cardboard, plastic and aluminum at Ohio EPA.
For more information on the company please visit http://www.smartrecycle.com/index.php

FCM partners with Toronto Zoo to recycle cell phones

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

LAVALTRIE (Montreal), Quebec – FCM, a Canadian e-waste recycler, has announced a new partnership to recycle mobile devices in part of an effort to benefit lowland gorilla conservation efforts.

FCM officials said this program highlights the leadership role that both the Toronto Zoo and FCM take to protect environmental sustainability. “Through this program, they strive to raise awareness about the effects of cell phone manufacturing on wildlife habitats,” company officials said.

By recycling end of life cell phones, pagers, BlackBerrys and other electronic devices we are able to decrease demand for the raw materials needed to produce new devices. Less demand for new materials reduces the need to expand mines, and helps to preserve the serenity and safety of wild gorillas, company officials said.

The proceeds from the Phone Apes program go towards helping lowland gorillas in these affected habitats. In 2011, all money raised will be donated to the “Goualougo Triangle Ape Project: Securing the Future of Gorillas and Chimpanzees in a Changing Landscape”, a project endorsed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Since 2006, The Toronto Zoo has provided 100 percent landfill-free cell phone recycling services to individual schools, community groups, corporate environments and many other partners across Ontario. The program was awarded top honors among North American zoos, aquaria and wildlife organizations in 2007 and 2009. The Toronto Zoo remains the most trusted cell phone recycler in the Greater Toronto Area & throughout Ontario.

To learn more about the Phone Apes program please go to

http://torontozoo.com/conservation/PhoneApes.asp

FCM Recycling offers its customers electronics recycling with almost no impact to the environment and the highest level of data protection. Materials received at any of the company’s recycling facilities are broken down into various recyclable components such as copper, aluminum, plastics and glass. Equipment is fully destroyed, ensuring that no data becomes exposed to pilfering, with Certificates of Destruction issued on request.

For more information about FCM Recycling please visit www.fcmrecycling.com

FCM Recycling and the Toronto Zoo announced a new e-waste recycling effort to benefit gorilla conservation.

For more information go to http://torontozoo.com/conservation/PhoneApes.asp

Meet Ismail Oyekan, Founder, Electronic Waste Journal & International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo (IERCE)

Posted on January 21, 2010 by admin

The Electronic Waste journal will periodically interview dynamic personalities, businesses and organizations making news in the electronics waste management industry. Anna Gonzales, a staff writer with the E-waste journal interviewed E-waste journal Publisher and Program Director of the International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo, Mr Ismail Oyekan in Los Angeles, California. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

E-waste Journal: Ismail, thank you for your time. Now moving ahead, what is the International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo?

Ismail: The International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo (IERCE) is an annual informative and networking event for individuals, environmental organizations or any business involved in electronics waste management. In October 2009, we held our first event in Los Angeles California and had a follow up event last year in San Francisco. More than a thousand people from over 20 nations attended both events . What’s impressive is we are just getting started. I believe this demonstrates that we are in a fast emerging industry where businesses cherish the opportunity to network, learn and display their products and services. That is also the motivation behind the launch of our new magazine; electronic waste journal.

E-waste Journal: What is the climate of the electronics waste management industry?

Ismail: The electronics waste management industry is a derivative of the $52 billion dollar waste industry. As we all grow more dependent on computers, cellular phones and information technology assets we will certainly generate more e-waste. Electronic waste is now the fastest growing waste stream in developed nations and the issue of electronic waste containing toxins and been dumped in nations where there are no facilities to process this waste stream is well documented. More than 20 states have now introduced some form of legislature to combat e-waste. National laws are in development and more businesses are realizing the social and environmental benefits of proper e-waste management. There are more players in this rather new industry and the industry itself is introducing new standards. Also commodities such as copper, silver and gold are rising in value which is a contributing factor to the increase in the rates of recycled electronic waste.

E-waste Journal: Is the United States behind Europe when it comes to electronics waste management?

Ismail: When you look at the technology, legislature and recycling activity, I’m afraid the answer is “yes”, the Unites States is behind. However, I believe the tide is changing and the public, business sector, government and academia are more interested in sustainability here than say 5 years ago. The “green revolution” is not a fad or a trend. More municipalities, telecom service providers and electronics manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint & save costs. In return, OEM manufacturers are using less resources and toxins such as lead and mercury in the design of their products. More electronics manufacturers, retailers and end users are also taking responsibility for the proper disposal of their surplus, defective & end of life electronics assets. There is a growing awareness & more publicity about the environmental impacts of e-waste thanks to NGO’s like Basel Action Network and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition’s investigative reports. These are all positive trends.

E-waste Journal: Tell us about the new standards been introduced to electronics recyclers?

Ismail: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other stakeholders introduced a new standard called the R2 and a Seattle based environmental watchdog group, Basel Action Network (BAN) also recently introduced a competiting standard known as the e-stewards program. These new standards are much welcomed by the electronics recycling community, although there is a lot of misinformation and confusion about their differences. An “ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification” is the International standard but these newly introduced standards include export guidelines, safety and continuous reviews by 3rd party auditors to ensure compliance. I believe an ISO 14001, e-stewards or R2 certification, gives a recycler tremendous credibility, saves costs and is also a huge marketing advantage over competitors. Currently less than 25% of the approximate 700 electronic collectors and recyclers participating in the California SB-20/SB-50 program have any certification. This will change because the industry is becoming more regulated and certification which is currently voluntary will obviously become a necessity in the coming months and years. Our intent is to keep our readers informed on the certification process and newest developments.

E-waste Journal: How long is the ISO certification process and what are the costs and benefits?

Ismail: The costs are quite high, but the great news is we are developing relationships with the best consultants, registrars and auditors in the Industry which will result in savings of up to 70% for any interested electronics recycler or OEM manufacturer in regards to ISO:9001 & ISO:14001. The process will also take less time to achieve certification and produce a significant return on investment. The leaders in this industry are ISO:14001 certified. Any business entity with ISO certification, has more credibility and therefore will earn more business from municipalities, OEM manufacturers and large enterprises. Historically, in the event of a violation, regulators will fine you less if you have a documented environmental management system(ISO:14001) in place. Most importantly, the process is designed to save costs while minimizing the environmental impacts of your recycling process. More OEM manufacturers, large businesses and municipalities are requiring recycling vendors to attain certification as part of a green supply chain and transparent downstream processing, making certification a necessity. This trend is expected to continue and will become the norm within the e-waste management industry.

E-waste Journal: What is in the works for you? When is the next International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo (IERCE)?

Ismail: The 3rd IERCE event will be held, May 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are expecting more than 90 exhibitors and at least 800 participants. We will keep providing a much needed interactive platform for presentations and discussions by leaders and visionaries in this industry. Our last event had more than 40 speakers, 600 attendees and 65 exhibitors. Of course, we just launched our new publication, the electronic-waste journal which is a much needed educational and marketing platform for industry stakeholders. Thankfully, we are quite busy.

E-waste Journal: What new trends have you observed within the electronics waste management industry?

Ismail: I’ve been involved with electronics waste management in some capacity or form for the past decade. There are certainly more players now than a decade ago. The new standards are much needed and overall the industry is very receptive to certification and regulation. More electronics recyclers are investing in software and technology to improve their yields, increase worker safety and generally most electronics recyclers are making a rebound from the harsh economic climate a few years ago. Manufacturers are also taking more responsibility due to legislative requirements. More manufacturers are realizing the economic and environmental benefits in reusing what was previously considered end of life assets, so they are developing innovative take-back schemes. A great example is the wireless-handset industry. Many non-profits, schools and churches are now using e-waste collection as a unique fundraising tool. The industry is vibrant and booming and I’m extremely happy to be a witness and part of the growth.

E-waste Journal: What is the role of Government in electronics recycling?

Ismail: The Government plays a crucial role in the management of e-waste and recycling generally. Awareness and education are important as well as regulation and enforcement of recycling laws. The United States, should also reconsider signing the Basel Convention, a pledge which bans the export of electronics waste. At the same time we have to have practical laws in place that allow for the monitored exportation of valuable commodities to markets that have a strong demand for them without harming the environment. In California, New York and a growing number of states, legislation including the cell phone recycling act and the ban on dumping electronic waste have increased recycling activities while protecting the environment. The Obama administration should really consider introducing a nationwide ban on electronics waste dumping, like we have here in California. It saves the environment and creates thousands of green jobs.

E-waste Journal: What do you expect in the next few years?

Ismail: I expect electronics recycling rates and activities to keep rising domestically and globally. There will be more electronics waste, but hopefully there will be more electronics resellers, repair facilities and recyclers to prevent this waste stream from ending up in landfills. We also expect emerging markets & nations such as Nigeria, Pakistan, India and China to have more local recycling facilities. The United States and Europe export and dump most of our electronics waste in these nations that lack the facilities to process e-waste. In my opinion, this is the biggest challenge and opportunity for the industry. The volume of electronics waste generated internally in these developing nations are growing exponentially. They also need environmentally friendly solutions for the disposal of their retired, defective and obsolete e-waste. We also expect electronics manufacturers to design products that are more sustainable, use less toxins and are easier to recycle. It’s a work in progress, but I remain optimistic about us as an industry in reaching these goals.

Samsung Expects To Sell 200 Million Handsets In 2009. Company Has Sold 40 million Touchscreen Devices In 2009, Compared With 10 million A Year Ago.

Posted on December 2, 2009 by admin

Samsung Electronics, the world’s No. 2 mobile phone maker, gave an upbeat forecast for 2009 mobile phone sales due to sharp growth in touchscreen models, but surging sales may not guarantee higher margins.

Growing competition for market share could put Samsung under pressure to lower prices in the high-margin touchscreen phones, with iPhone‘s debut in the domestic market last week set to challenge Samsung and home-town rival LG Electronics.

“Touch phones taking a bigger portion of handset sales will not likely have a significant impact on profitability because makers eventually have to cut prices to appeal to the wider public,” said Hanwha Securities analyst Seo Do-won.

“What we have to set sight on is the smartphone market, in which Samsung is still weaker than Apple, RIM and Nokia (NOK1V.HE). Samsung has strengths in high-function and hardware sides, but is weak in software and services compared with rivals,” Seo said.

Samsung, which trails Finland’s Nokia, said on Monday it was on track to exceed its 2009 mobile phone sales target, with touchscreen models enjoying sharp growth.

It had previously said it aimed to sell more than 200 million phones this year, after selling slightly less than that figure in 2008.

The blockbuster iPhone of Apple made its debut in South Korea recently after local regulators cleared the final hurdle for its sales in a market that is home to 47 million mobile phone users.

With established strength in premium and feature phones, Samsung and LG have recently boosted their smartphone line-ups to compete with Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion

Samsung said its global market share in handsets rose over 20 percent for the first time in the third quarter, with its telecom unit posting a profit margin of 10 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the second quarter.

Research firm Gartner said this month global mobile phone salesthis year would be roughly on par with 2008 and grow 5-8 percent next year.

Samsung said in a statement handsets adopting full touchscreens would account for about 20 percent of its mobile phone sales this year. In 2008, such phones made up only 5 percent of Samsung’s total sales.

Samsung had sold around 40 million full touchscreen devices between January and November this year, compared with 10 million in 2008.

Feature-packed premium phones and smartphones with intuitive user interfaces have prompted a boom in touchscreen models that allow users to manipulate cellphones more easily.

“Samsung will continue to expand the global full touch phone market by introducing phones tailored to individual regions and user requirement with stylish designs, intuitive UIs and cutting edge features,” JK Shin, head of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division, said in the statement.

Samsung Mobile Display, Samsung Electronics’ mobile screen venture, expects touchscreens to be adopted by about 50 percent of major portable devices — mobile phones, digital cameras, navigations and digital media players – sold in 2013.

By afternoon, shares of Samsung, also the world’s largest maker of memory chips and flat screen televisions, were up 2.3 percent, in line with the broader market’s 2.5 percent gain.

Linda McFarland Becomes Executive Vice President Of Business Development Of 5R Processors

Posted on December 2, 2009 by admin

Paragon Green, a leader in the information technology (IT) asset recovery and e-waste recycling industry, announced today the appointment of Linda McFarland as executive vice president of business development for joint venture partner 5R Processors Ltd. (5R), based in Ladysmith, Wis. She will continue to serve as CEO of Paragon Green and president and CEO of Classic Computer Recovery, Inc. (CCR), which are both based in Garden City, Mich.

Paragon Green is a joint venture formed by McFarland, founder and owner of CCR, and Tom Drake, founder and CEO of 5R. Between CCR and 5R, the companies recycle an estimated 20 million pounds per year, and Paragon Green projects that it will collect and recycle more than 50 million pounds of materials in 2010.

McFarland is a visionary entrepreneur in IT asset recovery and the electronics recycling industry. She is known for being creatively passionate about diverting e-waste from curbside disposal by working to responsibly convert recoverable electronic equipment into re-marketable used products or component parts. Any equipment Paragon Green collects that does not have a resale value in the used market is safely dismantled and converted into commodities for reclaimed metals, plastic and other recyclable materials.

“With the global economic recession, IT departments are focusing on cost reduction as a leading priority in their budget planning,” McFarland said. “Reclaiming, refurbishing and remarketing IT equipment is an innovative and environmentally proactive approach for companies to offset IT budgets by converting used assets to cash.”

Paragon Green’s asset recycling program is a full circle, end-to-end market managed recycling solution that supports a zero e-waste environmental agenda.

“Paragon Green accepts all e-waste from the commercial markets, including what others consider non-value electronics, including monitors and televisions,” McFarland said. “We also do not ship unprocessed, hazardous e-scrap, such as lead-based glass found in monitors and televisions to other countries. Instead, our lead-based glass de-manufacturing solution, called glass-to-glass processing, is the only true, environmentally sound recycling process.”

In addition to e-waste, Paragon Green is a waste recycling resource for a broad range of goods including fluorescent lights, cardboard, plastic, rubber, and hazardous materials such as lead acid batteries. Paragon Green also takes an active role with schools and community governments by participating in collection events and pilot programs that encourage the community to recycle.

Paragon Green serves medium-sized companies and large corporations within the healthcare, education, government, hospitality, solid waste, e-waste and asset recovery industries, as well as school districts, government entities and solid waste agencies. It operates four plants with nine locations in six states, totaling 300,000 square feet of space, located in Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

California Integrated Waste Management Board Honors 250 Businesses That Reduce Waste Sent To Landfills

Posted on December 1, 2009 by admin

The California Integrated Waste Management Board on Monday honored more than 250 businesses and nonprofit organizations for efforts to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Winners in the state’s Waste Reduction Awards Program ranged from tech giants Hewlett-Packard Co, Intel Corp and NEC Electronics America Inc. Hewlett-Packard’s Roseville campus now diverts 91 percent of its waste material, from recycling cardboard and paper products to reusing bubble wrap. NEC’s manufacturing plant, also in Roseville, last year diverted 82 percent of its solid waste, raising $430,625 in recycling revenue for the company.

Driven by aggressive state mandates, recycling has become a major industry in California. The sector employs 85,000 and produces $10 billion in goods and services annually, according to the waste board.

To make the list of recycling honorees, a company must demonstrate an annual improvement in its waste-reduction practices, according to Beatriz Sandoval, a spokeswoman for the Integrated Waste Management Board.

The agency has been publishing the list since 1993. Because of the breadth of industries represented, there are no set standards for qualifying, Sandoval said. Nearly every company submitting documentation to the agency wins an award.