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

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

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

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.

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.

“The unanimous passage of the bill signals that the Maine Legislature is committed to protecting our environment while also creating jobs,” Innes said. “Product stewardship initiatives, like the bottle bill, create jobs by turning today’s trash into tomorrow’s products, and save taxpayers money by privatizing the waste stream to benefit society.”

The expansion of the product stewardship law will save money for Maine businesses, non-profits and schools and will reduce toxic ewaste going into Maine’s incinerators and landfills. In addition, an estimated 16-18 new jobs will be created at an electronics recycling facility in Auburn, Innes said.

“This program marries the needs of small businesses and schools, and organizations that operate under tight financial conditions, with protecting Maine’s most important resource, its environment,” said Rick Dumas, Chief Executive Officer of eWaste Recycling Solutions, a company that provides safe and environmentally sound disassembly, consolidation and transportation services for recycling and disposal of electronic devices such as computer and television monitors as well as many other products categorized as e-waste under local, state and federal law. Centrally located in Auburn, eWaste Recycling Solutions have the only Maine based de-manufacturing facility of companies approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.

“It is a clear demonstration of the business and environmental communities, government, regulators and educators coming together for the good of our state, and the immediate result is that eWaste Recycling Solutions will create 16-18 “green-collar” jobs. LD 981 is a win-win for every party that has been involved with the process,” said Dumas.

“This legislation is a victory for Maine’s economy and our environment,” said Matt Prindiville, Clean Production Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Not only will this bill grow jobs and reduce costs for small businesses, it will also keep millions of pounds of toxic materials out of Maine’s environment by recycling more electronics into new products.”

“Since 2004, this manufacturer financed program has recycled over 30 million pounds of electronics, 30 million pounds that most likely would have ended up in our landfills or burned in our energy plants, spewing toxic fumes into our air,” said Rep. Innes. “Not only will this bill help protect our environment, but it will create much needed jobs as well.”

Patricia Aho, Deputy Commissioner of DEP said, “We were pleased to be able to work collaboratively and cooperatively to facilitate opportunities for small businesses here in Maine.”

For more on e-waste management in Maine, visit http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/ewaste/

An advertisement used to promote Maine's electronics recycling law.

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.

]]> http://www.ewastejournal.com/an-interview-with-ismail-oyekan-founder-program-director-international-electronics-recycling-conference-expo/feed/ 7 http://www.ewastejournal.com/indiana-electronic-recyclers-must-register-with-state-by-january-1st-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=indiana-electronic-recyclers-must-register-with-state-by-january-1st-2010 http://www.ewastejournal.com/indiana-electronic-recyclers-must-register-with-state-by-january-1st-2010/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:08:08 +0000 admin http://www.ewastejournal.com/?p=587 Continue reading →]]> Time is running out for Indiana’s electronic waste collectors and recyclers to enroll in a new program intended to reduce the amount of electronic waste that ends up in the state’s landfills.

Collectors and recyclers of obsolete electronics have until January  1st to enroll with the state’s E-Waste Program created by a law passed by the General Assembly this year.

The new law specifies that only collectors and recyclers enrolled in the program can work with electronics manufacturers who will soon be responsible for collecting and recycling the devices they sell in the state of Indiana.

Makers of computer monitors, laptops, and televisions must register with the state by April 1, 2010. If they fail to do so they won’t be allowed to sell their products in Indiana. This is a similar scenario with the controversial scenario in the state of New York, which is currently in litigation between the state and several electronic manufacturer trade groups.

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.