A Word About Recycling
Today’s column is just a little different. This is only because I couldn’t find enough information in any of my normal sources to do a normal column. What I did find was a number of headline-type sentences which I found interesting, although they had no further details. Hope you find some interest in them, too. These items are shown in no particular order, but just as I found them.
Harsco, which owns Clean Earth, published its 2020 environmental, social and governance report, which noted the company recycled 6,514 metric tons of e-scrap last year. Of this, over 75% of waste and byproduct material processed annually is recycled or repurposed;
Intel published its 2021 corporate responsibility report, noting that of the devices returned through its reverse logistics system, 56% were recovered for reuse and refurbishment. Its three largest customers were Dell, Inc.; Lenovo Group Limited; and HP Inc.
Battery recycling firm Li-Cycle launched a podcast that was focused on news, trends and innovations in clean technology. It is an industry leader in lithiumion battery resource recovery and the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America today.
Pelican Products, a manufacturer of portable lighting systems and other outdoor gear, donated 11,000 pounds of used electronics that will be refurbished and distributed to underserved communities. It is the global leader in the design and manufacture of highperformance protective cases, temperaturecontrolled packaging solutions and advanced portable lighting systems.
Staples Canada reported it recycled more than 4.4 million pounds of e-scrap with vendor eCycle Solutions. It also diverted nearly 300,000 pounds of used household batteries through its partnership with Call2Recycle. They offer several free recycling solutions available for customers. These include ink and toner cartridges, mobile phones, personal electronics, and household batteries.
Used device marketplace Back Market reported that there is increasing consumer interest in buying refurbished devices. Back Market will also open a temporary shop that will donate 5% of proceeds from all purchases to the Closing the Loop Foundation.
The WEEE Forum, which represents e-scrap producer responsibility organizations around the world, gained new members from Colombia, Lithuania, South Africa and Spain.
The Global Electronics Council (GEC) encouraged electronics recycling stakeholders to participate in developing criteria for an additional category covering fitness trackers, smartwatches, wearable medical devices and more.
The U.S. EPA recognized Dell, LG, Samsung, Sony, Staples, TCL North America, T-Mobile, VIZIO and Xerox for their “exemplary electronics collection and recycling programs.” Together, these companies reused or recycled 176,494 tons of electronics in 2020. Through their media efforts, the EPA encourages others to “…follow the lead of these companies by implementing similar innovative approaches.”
The EPA went on to explain how the use of electronic products has grown exponentially over the past two decades. It has changed the way people communicate and more recently, even how they stay in touch during the pandemic. They stressed that reusing and recycling reduces environmental impacts, including those from climate change, throughout the life cycle of electronics, while also creating green jobs.
And that’s it for today… hope the changed way of obtaining information for this article met with your approval. And till next week, do have a happy healthy, and safe one.
