IAER ELECTRONICS RECYCLING NEWSLETTER

MAY 2007

THE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING SUMMIT® IS ON MAY 7-10

INDUSTRY NEWS

FEATURE STORIES ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

· Company Profile

(Recycling Today – May 2007)

Redemtech exploits its relationship with its parent company, Micro Electronics, to develop cost efficient processes. It created a network of facilities in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. since “logistics for asset recovery is a significant expense for clients, so establishing locations close to the company’s customers helps to mitigate transportation costs”. Redemtech emphasizes a “seamless transfer of IT assets” with a “secure chain of possession”, controls over upstream and downstream vendors, and “an automated web-based asset processing system”.

· IT Asset Disposal

(Reverse Logistics Association Newsletter - May 2007)

“The improper disposal of IT assets is a missing security link for many companies.” There are a number of regulations that now require the protection of intellectual property and personal identity information: Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley. “Reputable IT asset disposal companies will maintain strict chain of custody control over assets while meeting all privacy and environmental government requirements” – which includes inventory control, licensed carriers, data erasure procedures and an audit trail.

· Why Recycle?

(Computerworld – April 20, 2007)

Recycling e-waste may help prevent potentially toxic materials from entering landfills, but it is not as environmentally friendly as “Reupgrading” (recycling through upgrading). This opinion article advocates “selling your gadget when it’s still practically new and using the money to upgrade to a better gadget (buying used if possible)”. A variety of reasons are cited for why reupgrading is better than recycling – including reducing processing costs and environmental impact as well as the storage of old equipment.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

· Patchwork of State Laws

(Computerworld – March 27, 2007)

With four states already having electronics recycling legislation in place and 25 more considering laws, “the burden of dealing with all the state e-waste laws is growing”. The current laws, as well as those proposed have significant differences in both scope and approach – including how they deal with “orphaned” products. Many organizations feel that a national law on electronics recycling is needed to simplify and improve compliance.

· Minnesota

(NCER News Summary – April 27, 2007)

Both the House and Senate in Minnesota passed a bill to implement a state-wide program for electronics recycling – including a unique financing scheme of producer responsibility based on “proportion of sales weight”. The governor is expected to sign the bill.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

· Europe - RoHS

(Electronic News – March 27, 2007)

Nine months after implementing the RoHS directive, the European Commission is starting to evaluate its effectiveness. Companies “are finally understanding the importance of the changes required and trying to go along with them.” Some feel, however, that “the burden has been … that the legal requirements keep changing” and the preparation effort and costs have been significant. Exemptions that have been permitted in RoHS has made implementation more practical than outright bans on substances would have been.

· WEEE Plastics

(Recycling Today – April 23, 2007 & E-Scrap News – April 24, 2007)

Research under the Waste & Resources Action Programme found two new processes for extracting brominated flame retardants from plastics used in electrical and electronic equipment. If these techniques are developed into economically practical processes, it will be more attractive to remove unwanted additives from polymers so they can be reused rather than disposed of by landfill or incineration.

· WEEE Retailer Program

(E-Scrap News – April 20, 2007)

“Valpak WEEE Retail Services (U.K.) announced … that more than 2.300 retailers have registered with the Distributor Take-back Scheme … above 75%.

· Nova Scotia

(E-Scrap News – April 3, 2007)

The Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labor in partnership with Electronic Product Stewardship Canada “announced plans for an e-scrap recycling program … (that) will be industry-funded”. The products covered will be expanded in phases together with landfill bans.

· South Korea

(E-Scrap News – April 18, 2007)

The South Korean National Assembly “passed the Act Concerning the Resource Recycling of Electrical/Electronic Products and Automobiles, which will regulate the manufacture, disposal and end-of-life management for electronic equipment and automobiles” – similar to Europe’s WEEE and RoHS Directives.

· Shanghai, China

(ChinaTechNews – April 20, 2007)

The “Old and Waste Electronic and Electrical Appliance Recall Center” opened in Shanghai offering residents the “first professional e-waste recycling outlet” with “prices competitive to that offered by many grey market waste collectors”.

OTHER RELATED NEWS

· University of California

(GreenBiz.com – April 4, 2007)

The University of California system (10 campuses, over 200,000 students) is “the first university in the nation to adopt guidelines for buying greener electronics, disposal of e-waste, and ‘take-back’ recycling” – including only buying products registered under EPEAT. “The University purchases more than 10,000 computers each month and disposes of approximately 1 million pounds of e-waste annually.”

· Kansas

(E-Scrap News – April 3, 2007)

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced a pilot e-scrap collection program “that will fund the creation of regional collection centers and equipment upgrades for the sites … (funded by) a three-cents-per-pound handling fee”.

· Earth Day

(E-Scrap News – April 18, 2007)

Electronics recycling events were scheduled all across the nation on Earth Day – including 44 at Wal-Mart facilities and a major EPA-Dell event in Washington, DC.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

ISEE-SUMMIT EVENT - May 7-10, 2007

IT’S NOT TO LATE – REGISTER NOW

The IAER will again be holding the Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® in conjunction with the ISEE conference in 2007 on May 7-10, 2007 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. You can see the Final Program as well as register and make hotel reservations online on the conference website at: http://www.iseesummit.org

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING SUMMIT® PROGRAM

IERI SHORT COURSES

The International Electronics Recyclers Institute (IERI) plans to conduct 2 new short courses in conjunction with the ISEE-SUMMIT event on Monday, May 7:

Electronics Specialty Materials: Recycling & Disposal

This course addresses the challenges recyclers face in dealing with specialty items such as televisions, cell phones, florescent lamps, batteries and ink cartridges. Industry subject matter experts will offer solutions for collection, meeting environmental guidelines, transportation, security, and processing; -as well as identifying potential reuse markets and disposal costs.

Downstream Due Diligence & Risk Management

As the E-scrap industry matures, downstream due diligence is becoming a condition for doing business with Fortune 500 companies and many other organizations. Not establishing an effective and robust process for identifying and managing downstream risks leaves a company open for negative criticism which can potentially result in a loss of business.

This course will offer an extensive look into an industry best practice for developing and conducting downstream due diligence risk assessments. Instruction will culminate in attendees participating in a mock audit of a case study E-scrap processing facility.

SUMMIT SESSIONS

The SUMMIT Program will comprise 5 sessions on Tuesday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 9.

Electronics Recycling Issues Panel - Issues and challenges facing the electronics recycling industry – in particular: Export, Certification and Prison Labor

This special 4 hour session with its large, expert panel will be a “must attend”

States Brainstorming Workshop - Experiences, challenges and opportunities for State electronics recycling programs
Industry Data - Updates and trends of the electronics recycling industry – including the new EPA Baseline Report (This will be the first presentation of this important data)
Futures Workshop - Future challenges and trends in electronics recycling
Collaboration Forum - Status and plans for collaboration opportunities in electronics recycling (follow-up to the workshop held in conjunction with the E-Scrap conference in October 2006)

For details of the SUMMIT Sessions, go to the webpage at:

http://www.iaer.org/summit/summit2007b.htm

Also, as in the past, there will be a lot of other related activities – exhibits, guest speakers, networking event, tour, and a wide variety of organization events – including the following OPTIONAL EVENTS:

Wednesday Evening, May 9

Networking Event: 6:00-11:00PM

- Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island

Thursday Morning, May 10

National Best Management Practices Information Meeting

IAER NEWS

IAER MEMBERS MEETING

As in the past, there will be a meeting of the IAER Membership in conjunction with the upcoming ISEE-SUMMIT event (see above). The IAER Members Meeting is scheduled for TUESDAY, MAY 8 from 7:00-8:00AM (breakfast will be served). This is an opportunity to hear from the IAER Officers about the activities of the association as well as ask questions and have discussions on topics of interest.

IAER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM – INCREASING PARTICIPATION

Many companies are now taking advantage of the special promotional opportunity to IAER Members who apply for certification. The fee for certification during this special promotion is approximately half the original cost of IAER certification.

Three more facilities have obtained the designation of “Certified Electronics Recycler®”

Supply-chain Services, Inc./SSI (Lombard, IL)
Global Electric Electronic Processing/GEEP (Barrie, ONT & Durham, NC)

For more information about the IAER Certification Program, including the IAER Certification Standard, visit the website at:

http://www.iaer.org/communications/certification.htm

If your company is not sure about pursuing IAER Certification, visit the web page on: “The Benefits of being a Certified Electronics Recycler®”.

To recognize those that have achieved IAER certification, a webpage has been established that provides access to the public to all current Certified Electronics Recyclers.

IAER ELECTRONICS RECYCLING INDUSTRY REPORT – 2006

The IAER partnered with Resource Recycling/E-Scrap News to publish a 2006 update to the Electronics Recycling Industry Report®. It includes new surveys of the electronics recycling industry in the U.S. as well as comprehensive new research on the trends and developments that drive the industry. This report contains current information that is essential for anyone involved or interested in the electronics recycling industry – with even more data and illustrations than the original 2003 Report. For more information and to order the Report, go to the web page at: http://www.iaer.org/communications/indreport.htm

Highlights of the Industry Report were presented at last year’s ISEE/SUMMIT event. You can go to the SUMMIT 2006 web page and click on “Presentations from the SUMMIT program” and then look for the “Highlights” presentation in Session#1.

Attendees at the upcoming Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® will be able to order copies of the Industry Report at a special discount. Stop by the IAER exhibit booth to get an order form.

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS

(From News Releases, Recycling Today, Reverse Logistics, GreenBiz.com and E-Scrap News)

· WeRecycle! (IAER Member) – announced “the opening of a new electronics recycling facility in Mount Vernon (NY)” – to serve New York City.

· Electronics Recyclers (CA) – announced the acquisition of ElectroniCycle expanding its operations to the east coast.

· CBL Data Recovery – is offering a free download of its hard drive-wiping software.

· Redemtech – announced that it processed approximately 15 million pounds of electronic scrap in 2006. In addition, it “also diverted … 11 million pounds of equipment from the waste stream through remarketing”.

· Sims – announced a partnership with Nortel for the “recovery, redeployment and recycling of Nortel’s end-of-life equipment” in Europe.

· CD Recycling Center – The Compact Disc Recycling Center of America was launched in Salem, NH.

· E-Lot Recycling – announced the opening of a new facility for electronics recycling in Troy, NY.

Other Companies and Organizations

· IBM (IAER Member) – announced that it processed over 100 million pounds of e-scrap I 2006 – with less than 1% of non-hazardous materials sent to landfill.

· Lenovo – The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics ranked Lenovo at the top of its quarterly “scorecard”.

· Best Buy – announced “two grant programs supporting e-scrap recycling” – one for non-profits and one for other types of organizations.

· Nokia – announced “that it will start a free-to-consumer take-back program for all brands of mobile devices” – using pre-paid mailers.

· Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) - announced that it will “expand its organization to represent (the) needs and interests” of electronics recyclers in Canada.

	IAER ELECTRONICS RECYCLING NEWSLETTER MAY 2007 THE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING SUMMIT® IS ON MAY 7-10 INDUSTRY NEWS FEATURE STORIES ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING · Company Profile (Recycling Today – May 2007) Redemtech exploits its relationship with its parent company, Micro Electronics, to develop cost efficient processes. It created a network of facilities in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. since “logistics for asset recovery is a significant expense for clients, so establishing locations close to the company’s customers helps to mitigate transportation costs”. Redemtech emphasizes a “seamless transfer of IT assets” with a “secure chain of possession”, controls over upstream and downstream vendors, and “an automated web-based asset processing system”. · IT Asset Disposal (Reverse Logistics Association Newsletter - May 2007) “The improper disposal of IT assets is a missing security link for many companies.” There are a number of regulations that now require the protection of intellectual property and personal identity information: Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley. “Reputable IT asset disposal companies will maintain strict chain of custody control over assets while meeting all privacy and environmental government requirements” – which includes inventory control, licensed carriers, data erasure procedures and an audit trail. · Why Recycle? (Computerworld – April 20, 2007) Recycling e-waste may help prevent potentially toxic materials from entering landfills, but it is not as environmentally friendly as “Reupgrading” (recycling through upgrading). This opinion article advocates “selling your gadget when it’s still practically new and using the money to upgrade to a better gadget (buying used if possible)”. A variety of reasons are cited for why reupgrading is better than recycling – including reducing processing costs and environmental impact as well as the storage of old equipment. LEGISLATIVE NEWS ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING · Patchwork of State Laws (Computerworld – March 27, 2007) With four states already having electronics recycling legislation in place and 25 more considering laws, “the burden of dealing with all the state e-waste laws is growing”. The current laws, as well as those proposed have significant differences in both scope and approach – including how they deal with “orphaned” products. Many organizations feel that a national law on electronics recycling is needed to simplify and improve compliance. · Minnesota (NCER News Summary – April 27, 2007) Both the House and Senate in Minnesota passed a bill to implement a state-wide program for electronics recycling – including a unique financing scheme of producer responsibility based on “proportion of sales weight”. The governor is expected to sign the bill. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING · Europe - RoHS (Electronic News – March 27, 2007) Nine months after implementing the RoHS directive, the European Commission is starting to evaluate its effectiveness. Companies “are finally understanding the importance of the changes required and trying to go along with them.” Some feel, however, that “the burden has been … that the legal requirements keep changing” and the preparation effort and costs have been significant. Exemptions that have been permitted in RoHS has made implementation more practical than outright bans on substances would have been. · WEEE Plastics (Recycling Today – April 23, 2007 & E-Scrap News – April 24, 2007) Research under the Waste & Resources Action Programme found two new processes for extracting brominated flame retardants from plastics used in electrical and electronic equipment. If these techniques are developed into economically practical processes, it will be more attractive to remove unwanted additives from polymers so they can be reused rather than disposed of by landfill or incineration. · WEEE Retailer Program (E-Scrap News – April 20, 2007) “Valpak WEEE Retail Services (U.K.) announced … that more than 2.300 retailers have registered with the Distributor Take-back Scheme … above 75%. · Nova Scotia (E-Scrap News – April 3, 2007) The Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labor in partnership with Electronic Product Stewardship Canada “announced plans for an e-scrap recycling program … (that) will be industry-funded”. The products covered will be expanded in phases together with landfill bans. · South Korea (E-Scrap News – April 18, 2007) The South Korean National Assembly “passed the Act Concerning the Resource Recycling of Electrical/Electronic Products and Automobiles, which will regulate the manufacture, disposal and end-of-life management for electronic equipment and automobiles” – similar to Europe’s WEEE and RoHS Directives. · Shanghai, China (ChinaTechNews – April 20, 2007) The “Old and Waste Electronic and Electrical Appliance Recall Center” opened in Shanghai offering residents the “first professional e-waste recycling outlet” with “prices competitive to that offered by many grey market waste collectors”. OTHER RELATED NEWS · University of California (GreenBiz.com – April 4, 2007) The University of California system (10 campuses, over 200,000 students) is “the first university in the nation to adopt guidelines for buying greener electronics, disposal of e-waste, and ‘take-back’ recycling” – including only buying products registered under EPEAT. “The University purchases more than 10,000 computers each month and disposes of approximately 1 million pounds of e-waste annually.” · Kansas (E-Scrap News – April 3, 2007) The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced a pilot e-scrap collection program “that will fund the creation of regional collection centers and equipment upgrades for the sites … (funded by) a three-cents-per-pound handling fee”. · Earth Day (E-Scrap News – April 18, 2007) Electronics recycling events were scheduled all across the nation on Earth Day – including 44 at Wal-Mart facilities and a major EPA-Dell event in Washington, DC. INDUSTRY EVENTS ISEE-SUMMIT EVENT - May 7-10, 2007 *IT’S NOT TO LATE – REGISTER NOW* *The IAER will again be holding the Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® in conjunction with the ISEE conference in 2007 on May 7-10, 2007 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL.* You can see the Final Program as well as register and make hotel reservations online on the conference website at: http://www.iseesummit.org ELECTRONICS RECYCLING SUMMIT® PROGRAM IERI SHORT COURSES The International Electronics Recyclers Institute (IERI) plans to conduct 2 new short courses in conjunction with the ISEE-SUMMIT event on Monday, May 7: Electronics Specialty Materials: Recycling & Disposal This course addresses the challenges recyclers face in dealing with specialty items such as televisions, cell phones, florescent lamps, batteries and ink cartridges. Industry subject matter experts will offer solutions for collection, meeting environmental guidelines, transportation, security, and processing; -as well as identifying potential reuse markets and disposal costs. Downstream Due Diligence & Risk Management As the E-scrap industry matures, downstream due diligence is becoming a condition for doing business with Fortune 500 companies and many other organizations. Not establishing an effective and robust process for identifying and managing downstream risks leaves a company open for negative criticism which can potentially result in a loss of business. This course will offer an extensive look into an industry best practice for developing and conducting downstream due diligence risk assessments. Instruction will culminate in attendees participating in a mock audit of a case study E-scrap processing facility. SUMMIT SESSIONS The SUMMIT Program will comprise 5 sessions on Tuesday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 9. Electronics Recycling Issues Panel - Issues and challenges facing the electronics recycling industry – in particular: Export, Certification and Prison Labor This special 4 hour session with its large, expert panel will be a “must attend” States Brainstorming Workshop - Experiences, challenges and opportunities for State electronics recycling programs Industry Data - Updates and trends of the electronics recycling industry – including the new EPA Baseline Report (This will be the first presentation of this important data) Futures Workshop - Future challenges and trends in electronics recycling Collaboration Forum - Status and plans for collaboration opportunities in electronics recycling (follow-up to the workshop held in conjunction with the E-Scrap conference in October 2006) For details of the SUMMIT Sessions, go to the webpage at: http://www.iaer.org/summit/summit2007b.htm Also, as in the past, there will be a lot of other related activities – exhibits, guest speakers, networking event, tour, and a wide variety of organization events – including the following OPTIONAL EVENTS: Wednesday Evening, May 9 Networking Event: 6:00-11:00PM - Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island Thursday Morning, May 10 National Best Management Practices Information Meeting Sponsored by the U.S. EPA Electronics Recycling Simulation Workshop Sponsored by Thomson, Inc. TOUR - Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility – including the collection of scrap electronics for recycling Sponsored by the IAER For details of the Optional Events, go to the webpage at: http://www.iaer.org/summit/optional2007.htm This year, attendees can register separately for the Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® at a substantially reduced fee - or jointly for the entire ISEE/SUMMIT program. Check the website for more details on the entire program. Highlights of 2006 Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® - including presentations and photos can be found on the IAER website at: http://www.iaer.org/summit/summit/Summit2006.htm IAER NEWS IAER MEMBERS MEETING As in the past, there will be a meeting of the IAER Membership in conjunction with the upcoming ISEE-SUMMIT event (see above). The IAER Members Meeting is scheduled for TUESDAY, MAY 8 from 7:00-8:00AM (breakfast will be served). This is an opportunity to hear from the IAER Officers about the activities of the association as well as ask questions and have discussions on topics of interest. IAER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM – INCREASING PARTICIPATION Many companies are now taking advantage of the special promotional opportunity to IAER Members who apply for certification. The fee for certification during this special promotion is approximately half the original cost of IAER certification. Three more facilities have obtained the designation of “Certified Electronics Recycler®” Supply-chain Services, Inc./SSI (Lombard, IL) Global Electric Electronic Processing/GEEP (Barrie, ONT & Durham, NC) *For more information about the IAER Certification Program, including the IAER Certification Standard, visit the website at:* *http://www.iaer.org/communications/certification.htm* *If your company is not sure about pursuing IAER Certification, visit the web page on: “The Benefits of being a Certified Electronics Recycler®”. To recognize those that have achieved IAER certification, a webpage has been established that provides access to the public to all current Certified Electronics Recyclers. IAER ELECTRONICS RECYCLING INDUSTRY REPORT – 2006* The IAER partnered with Resource Recycling/E-Scrap News to publish a 2006 update to the Electronics Recycling Industry Report®. It includes new surveys of the electronics recycling industry in the U.S. as well as comprehensive new research on the trends and developments that drive the industry. This report contains current information that is essential for anyone involved or interested in the electronics recycling industry – with even more data and illustrations than the original 2003 Report. For more information and to order the Report, go to the web page at: http://www.iaer.org/communications/indreport.htm Highlights of the Industry Report were presented at last year’s ISEE/SUMMIT event. You can go to the SUMMIT 2006 web page and click on “Presentations from the SUMMIT program” and then look for the “Highlights” presentation in Session#1. *Attendees at the upcoming Electronics Recycling SUMMIT® will be able to order copies of the Industry Report at a special discount. Stop by the IAER exhibit booth to get an order form.* COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS (From News Releases, Recycling Today, Reverse Logistics, GreenBiz.com and E-Scrap News) · WeRecycle! (IAER Member) – announced “the opening of a new electronics recycling facility in Mount Vernon (NY)” – to serve New York City. · Electronics Recyclers (CA) – announced the acquisition of ElectroniCycle expanding its operations to the east coast. · CBL Data Recovery – is offering a free download of its hard drive-wiping software. · Redemtech – announced that it processed approximately 15 million pounds of electronic scrap in 2006. In addition, it “also diverted … 11 million pounds of equipment from the waste stream through remarketing”. · Sims – announced a partnership with Nortel for the “recovery, redeployment and recycling of Nortel’s end-of-life equipment” in Europe. · CD Recycling Center – The Compact Disc Recycling Center of America was launched in Salem, NH. · E-Lot Recycling – announced the opening of a new facility for electronics recycling in Troy, NY. Other Companies and Organizations · IBM (IAER Member) – announced that it processed over 100 million pounds of e-scrap I 2006 – with less than 1% of non-hazardous materials sent to landfill. · Lenovo – The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics ranked Lenovo at the top of its quarterly “scorecard”. · Best Buy – announced “two grant programs supporting e-scrap recycling” – one for non-profits and one for other types of organizations. · Nokia – announced “that it will start a free-to-consumer take-back program for all brands of mobile devices” – using pre-paid mailers. · Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) - announced that it will “expand its organization to represent (the) needs and interests” of electronics recyclers in Canada. Return to the main page