It's Complicated

Tue, 13 May 2014 21:12:41 GMT

Between 2013 and 2022 an estimated 6.2 million tons of devices containing cathode ray tube (CRT) displays will find their way from our basements, closets and guest bedrooms into the U.S. e-scrap stream. An additional 330,000 tons of CRT glass are already out there, much of it stockpiled in warehouses across the country by CRT tube processors and intermediaries who’ve either abandoned ship or found there simply isn’t a market for the items. And that’s only a conservative estimate.

States Address CRT-to-ADC Option

Tue, 06 May 2014 18:16:09 GMT

As firms continue to search high and low for affordable and legitimate options for final disposition of CRT glass, several states with e-scrap programs are taking a stance on using the material as alternative daily cover (ADC).

Petition: Pass the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act (HR 2791)

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 21:34:43 GMT

ECS Refining, one of the oldest and largest electronics recyclers in the US, is a founding member of the Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER). CAER represents U.S. companies that believe electronics recycling should be performed securely and sustainably, for the benefit of the American economy. Currently, CAER's primary initiative is to support the passage of the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act (HR 2791), a bill with bipartisan support that would create needed jobs, protect America's security interests, and enhance sustainability interests in the electronics recycling industry.

Specifically, the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act aims to:

Ensure responsible electronics recycling in the U.S.
Create tens of thousands of good jobs for Americans
Increase exports of working, tested equipment and commodity-grade material from e-waste
Enhance national security by retaining strategic metals and improving data security

ECS Refining founder Jim Taggart, who has played a pivotal role in pioneering the electronics recycling industry, shares his thought on the proposed legislation.

"This bill promotes the use of domestic recycling and refurbishment services to properly manage electronics that are consumed within the US. It's a win-win scenario because it ensures that used electronics are processed properly before they leave the country, and it strengthens the US economy by creating quality jobs. As a result, we'll see an increase in exports of both recovered e-waste commodities and tested, working devices, instead of hazardous e-waste—which often finds its way to developing regions of the world that lack adequate infrastructure and safeguards to manage this challenging material stream."

As a stakeholder in this matter, you have the opportunity to show your support for RERA (HR 2791) by signing the petition. Spread the work and encourage your communities to show their support as well.

For more information on how RERA will achieve the objectives mentioned above, visit their FAQ page.

Finding Rewards, Financial and Spiritual, in E-Waste

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 22:03:23 GMT

Traci Phillips, 42, started a recycling company, Natural Evolution, more than a decade ago, after realizing the hazards associated with electronic waste.

Q&A with our CRT Glass Source, ECS Refining

Fri, 27 Dec 2013 23:56:26 GMT

The following blog post comes from a Q&A Session between Fireclay Tile, a San Jose tile manufacturer using recycled CRT glass to make kitchen and bathroom tiles, and ECS Refining Marketing Manager, Mark Van Elderen. This post covers what ECS Refining is all about, the issues surrounding CRT glass, and how this difficult material stream is being recycled.

"Hi Mark! First of all, tell me about ECS Refining"

Mark – "ECS Refining is a downstream electronics recycling and IT asset disposition firm that provides compliant recycling and reuse solutions for a wide range of electronic devices. Customers rely on ECS to responsibly recycle their e-waste and securely manage the sensitive data that comes with it.

ECS Refining was founded in 1980 in Santa Clara, CA by Jim and Ken Taggart. Originally, ECS specialized in recovering precious metals from post-manufacturing scrap and residues from the computer manufacturing industry. As the electronics industry enjoyed rapid growth and manufacturing operations were outsourced to other parts of the world, ECS Refining adapted by shifting its focus to recycling post-consumer electronics, or what many people refer to as electronic waste or e-waste. This includes computers, laptops, printers, phones, networking equipment, flat screen TV’s and monitors, and yes—CRTs.

From the beginning, ECS Refining’s mission has been to provide responsible recycling solutions that recover reusable resources in a manner that protects workers and the environment. As an e-Stewards Certified recycler, ECS adheres to a strict “no landfill, no export” policy by recycling 100% of the material we receive at our state-of-the-art domestic recycling facilities."

"What is a CRT device?"

Mark – "The CRT has been the primary display technology used in televisions and monitors for the past 80 years. Think of the bulky, old style TV’s and monitors with the thick glass screens – they all contain a CRT or cathode ray tube. The screens that we are accustomed to staring into are the front end or faceplate of the tube."

"What is in a CRT device?"

Mark – "Essentially, a CRT device is made up of a glass vacuum tube with three electron guns that deflect electron beams onto a screen to create images. The glass vacuum tube consists of three different types of glass: the panel, the funnel, and the frit. The different types of glass come into play in the recycling process, so I’ll come back to that later. The CRT tube is also usually housed in a plastic (or sometimes wood) casing which also contains a steel frame, a printed circuit board, a copper yoke and wiring."

"Why are CRTs being replaced by flat screens?"

Mark – "CRTs have become an obsolete technology over the past decade, replaced by flat panel displays (such as LCDs) which are lighter, thinner, more energy efficient, and have higher picture quality. In addition, advances in technology have allowed prices of flat panel displays to fall significantly over the past 5-7 years. That is why we’re seeing CRT televisions and monitors entering the waste and recycling stream on a massive scale."

"Why is the CRT crisis getting so much attention now when these devices have been a part of the electronic waste stream for decades?"

Mark – "The CRT crisis has been exacerbated by the fact that traditional downstream markets for CRT glass have either dissipated or changed significantly.
Historically, one of the most reliable downstream solutions for CRT glass has been glass-to-glass recycling, a process by which CRT glass is recycled to manufacture new CRTs. But with the demand for new CRT televisions and monitors plummeting, industry experts are predicting that it will no longer be a viable option within the next few years. Today, there is only one glass-to-glass CRT processor, and the cost of doing business with them has increased significantly.

Another downstream solution that has diminished in recent years is lead smelting. The CRT glass can be melted in a lead furnace and the lead can be extracted and sold as a commodity. However, due to an abundance of other secondary feedstocks (other sources of lead-bearing material streams) there are only a few lead smelters that are accepting CRT glass and their capacity does not meet the recycling industry’s high-volume demands.

As a result, many recyclers are irresponsibly stockpiling CRT glass in massive quantities, either because they don’t have access to the current viable downstreams or because they are hoping for a more cost-effective solution to present itself. An industry report produced by Transparent Planet estimates that 660 million pounds of CRT glass are being stored at locations throughout the US."

"Where do you get most of your CRT waste?"

Mark – "ECS serves as an e-waste recycler for companies like consumer electronics manufacturers as well as IT departments of Fortune 2000 enterprises. Our best customers are enterprises who are committed to environmental sustainability. ECS also serves as the downstream recycler for non-profits, environmental service providers, waste haulers, landfills, and other recycling companies who provide convenient e-waste collection services to the public."

"What is the ECS process for recycling CRTs?"

Mark – "Recycling CRTs is probably the most unique process within our operations because we don’t utilize a shredding system.
First, we manually remove the plastic shell of the CRT monitor or TV. Next, we release the vacuum by removing the electron gun, copper yoke and wiring. ECS utilizes multiple downstreams for the remaining glass tube that require different preparation processes. For downstreams that require clean, lead-free glass, a proprietary separation technique is applied to liberate the 'panel' from the leaded 'funnel' and 'frit.'"

"Can you please touch on the different steps taken by ECS to clean the CRT?"

Mark – "ECS sends only separated and cleaned “panel” glass to Fireclay that complies with the Department of Toxic Substance Control’s (DTSC) requirements.

After the 'funnel' is removed from the tube, the phosphor powder that coats the inside of the tube is vacuumed off. Next, the tube is put through a proprietary separation mechanism that removes the 'frit' from the 'panel'. Then, the panel goes through a series of inspections to verify that it has been completely liberated from the leaded glass fractions. Finally, the clean panel glass is crushed, boxed, and shipped to Fireclay. The remaining leaded glass is shipped to the other downstream processors mentioned above.

This process is remarkable because our separation and cleaning process is capable of effectively and efficiently producing a product that is safe to use for a wide variety of applications."

"What will happen if we do nothing about CRTs?"

Mark – "If the recycling industry isn’t willing or able to develop and invest new technologies and processes for recycling CRT glass, this material stream could end up in landfills as a wasted resource contaminating the environment.

The bottom line is that it’s important for companies like ECS and Fireclay to work through these challenges to develop sustainable, beneficial applications for CRT glass. ECS is thrilled to have a partner whose goals are aligned with ours and we look forward to supporting this initiative moving forward."

Consumers Unsure about Cell Phone Recycling

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:27:17 GMT

According to a new online poll conducted by Earth911 for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, D.C., nearly 60 percent of people who do not recycle old cell phones fail to do so because they do not know where to recycle these devices or don’t trust that personal data will be destroyed.

E-Scrap Conference Ends with Clash on Federal Legislation

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:14:46 GMT

The 11th annual E-Scrap Conference — held this week in Orlando, Florida — concluded with a debate on the pros and cons of potential national legislation on electronics recycling.

BAN Highlights Problems with CRT Glass

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 23:16:23 GMT

Organization points to Arizona warehouse with 9 million pounds of cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor glass.

2013 CRT Challenge Winners Propose Nuclear Options

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 23:08:39 GMT

The Consumer Electronics Association announced the winners of the second CRT Challenge, both of which propose processing CRT glass into products to manage nuclear waste.

E-Scrap Conference 2013!

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 20:41:50 GMT

In less than one week, 82 sponsoring companies, 132 exhibitors, more than 500 companies and organizations, and approximately 1,500 e-scrap professionals will meet in Orlando, Florida for the largest conference and trade show in electronics recycling.

Colorado Electronic Recycling Company Closes Down and Abandons Tons of Hazardous CRT Glass

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:51:28 GMT

DENVER - A company paid to recycle hazardous electronics waste abandoned 750 tons of the stuff, leaving someone else to clean up the mess.

One More Sentenced in Major WEEE Export Case

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:50:56 GMT

Another sentence has been handed out in the U.K.'s largest-ever bust of illegal e-scrap exports.

Abandoned Baltimore Warehouse is Full of CRTs

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:24:04 GMT

Last week E-Scrap News reported on several warehouses in Arizona and Colorado where large amounts of CRTs were left behind when the plants closed. Two firms — Dow Management and Luminous Recycling — shut their doors, leaving as much as 10,000 tons of CRTs and CRT glass.

E-Waste: The Real Story Behind Where Your Tech Waste Goes

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:10:30 GMT

In this digital age, newer is better. Getting your hands on the newest tech gadgets means getting rid of the old ones. But there's a right way and a wrong way to make room for new technology.

Unwanted Electronic Gear Rising in Toxic Piles

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:47:01 GMT

Flat-screen technology has made CRT monitors and televisions obsolete, decimating the demand for the recycled tube glass used in them and creating what industry experts call a “glass tsunami” as stockpiles of the useless material accumulate across the country.

Study Finds That 25% Of All E-waste Handlers Directly Engage In Exporting

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:26:55 GMT

Approximately 25% of all e-waste handlers directly engage in exporting and 41% reported being reasonably certain some portion of their materials was later exported by another organization, a study by the U.S. International Trade Commission found.

New EPA Chief Has E-scrap Background

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:36:40 GMT

President Barack Obama has nominated Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Although McCarthy is best known for her work on air quality, she has occupied state-level positions where she sought to increase recycling rates and helped launched a new e-scrap program. During her careers, she has also shown openness to producer responsibility measures.

INTERPOL Targets E-waste

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:16:44 GMT

The first INTERPOL operation targeting the illegal trade of electronic waste saw the seizure of more than 240 tonnes of electronic equipment and electrical goods and the launch of criminal investigations against some 40 companies involved in all aspects of the illicit trade.

SWANA Issues Policy on Safe Recycling of Electronic Waste

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:27:56 GMT

On January 7, 2013, the International Board of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) approved a policy regarding the safe recycling of electronic wastes that prohibits exportation to countries that do not have regulatory programs to enforce standards for worker safety and public health and the environment.

Federal Limits on E-Waste Exports Could Create Up To 42,000 U.S. Jobs

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:26:08 GMT

Restrictions on e-waste exports could create up to 42,000 direct and indirect new jobs with a total payroll of more than $1 billion, according to a new study commissioned by the Coalition For American Electronics Recycling (CAER).

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