Onsite Electronics Recycling obtains e-Stewards certification

Posted on September 9, 2011 by admin

Stockton, Calif.-based Onsite Electronics Recycling has announced that it has been certified to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment^®.

Onsite Electronics Recycling is the 14^th company in North America and the third in California to have achieved e-Stewards Certification, according to the Basal Action Network (BAN), the Seattle-based organization that developed the certification. .

The accredited, third-party-audited program is one of two recycler certification programs now required for the recycling of electronics generated by U.S. government agencies, according to the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship.

“In achieving e-Stewards Certification, Onsite Electronics Recycling has demonstrated adherence to the most rigorous electronics recycling standard in the world,” says Jim Puckett, BAN executive director. “By providing good jobs with fair wages and benefits in an award-winning environmentally designed and managed facility, Onsite shows that responsible e-waste recycling makes sense for the environment, society and the economy.”

“We are proud to receive this certification, because it represents our adherence to the strictest environmental and social standards in the Industry which are principle to our operating philosophy,” said Janice Oldemeyer, president of Onsite Electronics Recycling. The company was founded on the principal that e-scrap should be managed responsibly in the United States, creating local jobs with fair wages and benefits, she said.

The company’s customers include OEMs, small and medium-sized businesses, residents, nonprofits, solid waste companies and governmental organizations.

California based recycler (e-recycling of California) faces fine for improper handling, storage of CRT material

Posted on September 8, 2011 by admin

A California recycler must pay $21,000 for allegedly violating the state’s regulations for storage of e-waste materials.

According to a consent order filed by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, e-Recycling of California was assessed the fine after improperly storing CRT glass in containers deemed not appropriate to contain the material. Crushed CRT glass was found leaking out of the containers during inspections, DTSC officials said.

“Respondent failed to manage all residuals produced from treating electronic devices, residual printed circuit boards, and/or CRTs, in a manner that prevents a release to the environment of any universal waste or any component thereof, “ according to the document.

Specifically, the company didn’t tie the openings of CRT glass treatment dust bags, set up an appropriate container system to capture the CRT/CRT glass treatment dust under the Pulse-Jet Filter Cleaning Vacuums and did not separate floor sweepings containing CRT glass from regular solid waste.

To see the consent order, click here: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Projects/upload/eRecycling_Irvine_CO_081911.pdf

Australian e-waste lobby to become recycler

Posted on August 30, 2011 by admin

Product Stewardship Australia is making the change from a lobbying group to a stewardship organization, a technology website reports.

The organization campaigned for national e-waste legislation in Australia, and is hoping to become an operational entity to recycle e-waste, the website said.

Formed by television and computer manufacturers in 2004, Product Stewardship Australia lobbied the Australian government in support of a national extended producer responsibilty program for e-waste management.
After seven years, the government passed legislation in 2011 for an e-waste EPR program, with mandates beginning after 2012.

According to ZDNet:

PSA said in a statement today that as the legislative process nears completion, it would look to transition itself from a lobby to an operational Product Steward Organisation for the handling of e-waste.

Stuart Clark, chairman of PSA, said today that he was proud of the lobby’s achievements.

“Over seven years, PSA has been at the forefront of driving some of the most significant environmental policy reform in Australia.

“This has been a long and committed effort, but one that is ultimately going to benefit all Australians by providing a community-friendly take-back service for obsolete TVs and computers. The PSA board is especially grateful to the association’s member companies, who have provided relentless support and funding to achieve a positive recycling outcome,” Clark said in a statement today.

Supporting manufacturers include Acer, Apple, Canon, Dell, Epson, Fuji, HP, IBM, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp and Sony.

For more on Australia’s Electronics Recycling standards, download here: INTERIM-INDUSTRY-STANDARD or CLICK HERE.

SGS to offer services to ensure compliance with new India ewaste laws

Posted on August 24, 2011 by admin

Photo by EMPA. Supplied by UNU

SGS, a global inspection, verification, testing and certification company, is promoting its services to help ensure compliance with India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests new “E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011.”

The new rules go into effect May 2012. The company said the new Indian regulations bear a “considerable similarity” with the EU’s WEEE and RoHS legislation for producers and dismantlers of electrical and electronic equipment.

The new law will apply to all those in the supply and usage chains, from producers to dismantlers of electrical and electronic equipment, the company said, and includes an Extended Producers’ Responsibility mandate for recycling, for reducing levels of hazardous substances in electronics and setting up collection centers. It is understood that this legislation is being promoted by Non Governmental Organizations and a few manufacturers who already have “green policies” that restrict most of the substances mentioned.

“As the law takes effect, the e-waste rules will require manufacturers and importers to supply only “RoHS compliant” products provide written evidence of compliance, and include details about the restricted substances in the product information booklet. Such reduction in use of hazardous substances in manufactured or imported electrical and electronic equipment shall be achieved within two years from the date of the act’s commencement. SGS is the market leader in RoHS testing and can provide a global compliance program covering the whole supply chain,” the company said.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.ee.sgs.com/global-rohs-services.htm or contact:

SGS Consumer Testing Services
Asish Chakraborty
Manager-Technical (Multilabs)

SGS India Private Limited
15 C Hemanta Basu Sarani, 3rd & 4th Floors,
LMJ Chambers, Kolkata, 700 001, India

t: +91 33 662 66 100 -104 (B)
f: +91 33 224 20 745, 224 81 745
Email: cts.media@sgs.com

E-waste should not be wasted

Posted on August 1, 2011 by admin

Commentary by Amanda Smith-Teutsch | Electronic Waste Journal

In a study released last week, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries reports the total scrap recycling industry – including metals, glass, fibers, plastics, and paper, amongst other materials – contributes $90.6 billion to the U.S. economy each year.

Electronics recycling is a small, but growing, part of this impact. The same trade organization, earlier this year, released the initial results of a study on U.S. e-waste recycling and found the industry has already grown from less than $1 billion in 2002 to $5 billion in 2010 in the country. At its conference in May, ISRI said the industry could grow to $8 or $10 billion in the coming years.

What is needed to make sure the electronics recycling industry continues on this path of growth? A positive legislative environment is one step in that direction. Since 2002, 25 states have passed some form of electronics recycling mandate, banning electronics from landfills and usually holding manufacturers responsible for funding their recycling.

A recently announced federal initiative hopes to voluntarily increase electronics recycling. But such voluntary efforts don’t often have the same impact as jurisdictions where the force of law dictates electronics’ end-of-life management. The increasing number of states with electronics recycling mandates is likely one of the driving forces behind this growth, along with public interest and voluntary manufacturer environmental responsibilities.

The U.S. EPA estimates that in 2009, of the 2.5 million short tons of e-waste generated in the country, about 25 percent was recycled.

That’s criminal.

That means that in 2009, the U.S. electronics recycling industry didn’t have access to 1,875,000 short tons of electronics, which instead now sit languishing in landfills, where the valuable commodities of aluminum, copper, plastics, and precious metals are lost forever.

In 8 years, the electronics recycling industry has grown from providing 6,000 full time jobs in the U.S. to 30,000. Imagine the economic impact if e-waste recycling was incentivized throughout the entire U.S., and not just half of it.

Official government photos of e-waste announcement at Round2 in Austin.

New federal policy good news for electronics recycling

Posted on July 21, 2011 by admin

Commentary by Amanda Smith-Teutsch | Electronic Waste Journal

E-waste burst onto the national stage yesterday as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, General Services Administrator Martha N. Johnson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley were joined by the CEOs of Dell Inc. and Sprint, and senior executives from Sony Electronics to discuss the new federal initiative to promote the U.S. electronics recycling industry. The government also released a 35-page report prepared by the Obama Administration’s e-waste task force, formed last year.

The government initiative will ban all federal electronics from landfill, will place greater emphasis on Design for Recycling, support recycling options and systems for American consumers; and strengthen America’s role as a global steward of electronics at their end of life. Under today’s strategy, the federal General Services Administration will remove products that do not comply with energy efficiency or environmental performance standards from its information technology purchase contracts used by federal agencies, and will ensure that all electronics used by the Federal government are reused or recycled properly.

Such a policy will have far-reaching effects. Jackson noted the federal government is the largest purchaser of IT equipment in the nation, and as it agitates for change as it buys new products and recycles the old, the impacts are sure to be felt industry-wide.

Also discussed yesterday was the importance of industry self-policing through certification standards. That such a discussion was held on a national stage is only beneficial to the electronics recycling industry as legitimate recyclers seek to dispel perceptions of toxic e-waste dumping overseas.

While much of the country already benefits from mandatory electronics recycling, it’s important that the federal government take the lead in advancing awareness for the rest of the nation. That the government is supported in the initiative by some of the largest electronics manufacturers in the nation doesn’t hurt the new policy’s chances of success, either.

The announcement included voluntary commitments from Dell, Sprint and Sony – presumably in addition to environmental commitments the companies have already made – to EPA’s industry partnership aimed at promoting environmentally sound management of used electronics.

“Our goal at Dell is to deliver the highest quality and most efficient products to our customers with the least environmental impact,” said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, Dell Inc. “Last fiscal year, we diverted more than 150 million pounds of end-of-life electronics globally from landfills, and we are well on our way to meeting our goal of recycling 1 billion pounds by 2014. We encourage everyone in our industry to commit to easier, more responsible recycling as we all work to protect our planet.”

“To be recognized by the EPA for responsible e-waste recycling is an honor for Sprint and a chance to build on our industry-first Electronics Stewardship Policy,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Our current policy and today’s commitment with the EPA highlights our goal to handle electronic waste holistically – from product design to disposal – and is another proof point to our broader commitment to sustainability innovation.”

“At Sony, any product we make and put our name on, we will take back and recycle in the most responsible manner,” said Mark Small, Vice President for Corporate Environment, Safety and Health. “‘We Make It, We Take It Back’ has been Sony’s policy since 1995. This partnership – in coordination with the EPA and other stakeholders – will help us reach our “Road to Zero” goal, Sony’s vision of zero waste and zero environmental impact throughout the complete life cycle of all our products and related activities.”

News of the announcement was carried not only in the environmental press, but in local newspapers and on major blog sites and news portals. Regardless of the impact the new policy will ultimately have, for one day at least the American public took a moment, glanced at their computers or mobile phones and realized that some day, these devices will have to be handled responsibly.