The never-ending need for electronic equipment is generating the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, causing the need for improved, simplified electronics recycling methods. Electronic waste is rubbish produced by our excess, damaged, and obsolete electronic gadgets.    

Although electronic wastes form challenges to the environment and planet, better e-waste management strategies can offer enormous profits through electronics recycling. This leads to significant economic prospects without constituting risks to the environment and life.    

The Need for Electronics Recycling     

According to a DoSomething.org research, wasted televisions, computers, keyboards, mice, mobile phones, and devices such as fax machines, printers, and scanners totaled over 4.7 billion pounds (2,131,882,400 kg) in 2009. Every year, 20 to 50 million metric tonnes of electronics are thrown worldwide. Regrettably, only approximately 12.5% of electronic equipment gets recycled.    

Why is Recycling E-waste Important?

The recycling of e-waste serves a lot of useful purposes. For instance, include protecting human and environmental health by keeping those devices out of landfills. Or recovering the parts within the devices that still have value, and providing manufacturers with recycled metals that can be used to make new products.    

It becomes redundant to speak against e-waste at some point, but it has had a devastating effect on the environment and communities worldwide. Below are some highlights of the negative impact:    

• Most electronics contain toxic materials like mercury, nickel, zinc, lead, chromium, and barium, which have been proven by research to cause chronic and debilitating damage to human, animal, and plant ecosystems. These chemicals leach out of e-waste, causing groundwater and soil damage.    
• Hazardous substances are emitted into the air when e-waste is burnt, creating breathing issues in people and animals. Thrown-away e-waste that is not adequately treated releases harmful chemicals into the water and soil, harming land and marine species and reducing crop quality.     

Reusable Resources from Electronics  

There is no question that the components in e-waste are potentially hazardous to our atmosphere, but they also include valuable, recoverable resources that may be reused. Each electronic gadget has precious metals such as silver in solder, gold within the circuit board, and copper in the connecting wires. There are also aluminum and ferrous metals. Electronics recycling allows us to properly process e-waste. Valuable materials can then be sold for a profit or turned into something new.     

Recycling these materials can also help to conserve natural resources by reducing energy usage. By recycling old materials, fewer virgin materials need to be produced. For example, aluminum and zinc from tablets and laptops can be used for cars, jewelry, metal plates, or art. Batteries from old cell phones can also be used to produce new smartphones and batteries. Electronic devices should be refurbished, recycled, and reused whenever possible.  

Energy Conservation and Carbon Footprint Reduction  

Recycling existing materials requires significantly less energy and resources than manufacturing new ones from scratch. This translates to lower carbon emissions and a smaller environmental footprint.    

Mining activities, particularly for fossil fuels used in energy-intensive manufacturing processes, are significantly reduced with effective e-waste recycling. This helps to transition to greener sources of energy and a future that is more sustainable. Participating in efficient and creative recycling technology fosters improvements in the area, paving the way for even more sustainable e-waste management solutions in the time to come.  

How Business Owners Can Help the Environment    

There is a great need for businesses or companies to take a more proactive approach in their environmental practices.  

One thing recycling companies can do to help the environment is to focus on what they can do together to increase their electronics recycling efforts. While some do this for economic benefits, others increase their electronics recycling efforts to boost public relations.     

Whatever the reason, business owners should work actively to redefine what corporate responsibility means to them. We cannot ignore the reality of how intentional efforts can save the environment from toxic materials, or how our actions can push the government to force environmental policy change.    

Electronics recycling conserves natural resources, recovers valuable materials for new products, reduces pollution, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. It sounds like something we should all commit to!    

Electronic Recycling: Acting for a Sustainable Future    

The opportunities for environmental benefit through electronics recycling are vast. However, individual and collective action is crucial to unlock this potential. Here’s how you can be a part of the solution:    

Recycle Responsibly  

Find certified e-waste recycling sites in your region and safely discard your old devices. Don’t let them wind up in trash or shady processing plants.   

Educate Others  

Raise awareness about the necessity of electronics recycling and urge others to practice proper disposal.   

Support Sustainable Products  

Choose electrical items that can be repaired and recycled, reducing their environmental effect through their lives.  

Advocate for Policy Change  

Encourage measures that encourage proper e-waste management, such as expanded producer responsibility programs and stronger laws on unlawful dumping.   

Your recycling needs get fulfilled at Recycle Technologies

At Recycle Technologies we follow strict and thorough protocols to ensure the recycling process is completed environmentally friendly. Other than the electronics recycling, we also offer recycling kits for your ease, along with lamp recycling, tv recycling, battery recycling, ballasts recycling and computer recycling. To know more about these services, click on the links above or visit the website by clicking here.

E-scrap processor charged with illegal dumping

By Jake Thomas, Resource Recycling

Authorities in Hennepin County, Minnesota have accused the head of an electronics recycling company of improperly handling hazardous waste.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has charged Curtis Weston Hilleren, the general manager of Hopkins-based Electronic Salvage Industries, LLC, with a summons to appear in court over allegations that he illegally placed crushed CRT glass into a roll-off box that was to be dumped into a landfill.

In August of last year, the Hennepin County Department of Environmental Services received a complaint that Hilleren had improperly handled the lead-containing material. A follow-up visit from the department to the facility found evidence confirming that CRT glass had been illegally placed in a container bound for a landfill.

According to the complaint, Hilleren initially denied knowing who owned the box that had CRT glass in it, but eventually admitted that he “screwed up.” Hilleren estimated that the CRT waste totaled between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds, according to the complaint.

In 2009, the department found a CRT in the company’s dumpster, resulting in the company being ordered to remove the item and document how it would prevent similar mistakes in the future.

The charges against Hilleren carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.

Don’t be a victim – vet your recycler or pay the price

Where do you send your used mercury-containing lamps when they leave your building? If your answer involves a recycling facility, you’re ahead of the curve because many building operators don’t recycle lamps containing mercury properly, even though the highly toxic substance has serious environmental and health implications. However, unless you’ve truly vetted your recycler, you may be unintentionally sending lamps to the landfill after all. This is one situation where what you don’t know can really cost you. Sham Recycling Defined. A light bulb processor accepts un-broken bulbs that contain mercury, such as fluorescent lamps, and uses a tightly controlled process to remove and separate the mercury from the lamp so they can sell it back to the commodity market, explains Lynn Petros, owner, CEO, and chief environmental officer of Recycle Technologies, a recycler that partners directly with customers. A broker, by contrast, collects the lamps from your facility but pays a processor to do the actual recycling. Both can be valid options for lamp recycling, but it pays to make sure you’re using a legitimate business.

Start by adopting the downstream auditing process to check out companies you’re not familiar with. ALMR recommends these additional steps :Pricing: “As with many things, you usually get what you pay for,” ALMR notes. “Question pricing and get more than one quote. ”Service: Examine responsiveness, timeliness, program flexibility and customization, the personnel you will work with, any intermediates involved, and the firm’s capability and equipment. If your recycler is caught improperly disposing of mercury-containing lamps, you’re ultimately responsible for any ensuing fines or cleanup costs. “Some red flags are bold claims or companies that are not recyclers claiming to be recyclers,” adds Paul Abernathy, executive director of the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers (ALMR), of which Recycle Technologies is a board member. “Unless you specify in a contract that they have to provide you with evidence of proper disposal, then your bulbs and money are gone and you have no idea where your light bulbs end up. ”Audit Your Current Recycler Verifying the legitimacy of your current partner is similar to checking out a new company, minus the price and service quality you’ve observed from doing business with them. However, it’s not difficult to trace the path your bulbs have taken, especially if you’ve chosen a truly trustworthy broker or processor. “Do a downstream audit,” Petros ex-plains. “You want to understand whether you’re using a processor or broker. If it’s a broker, who is the broker using? ”Also find out what happens to the separated components, especially the mercury-tainted phosphor powder, Petros says. For example, Recycle Technologies processes bulbs, but ships the powder and filters to a distillation company. Other companies may send contaminated parts to a hazardous waste landfill, which may or may not meet your standards. The destination facility must issue you a certificate of recycling that verifies proper disposal. Brokers can’t legally issue these, but the processor they use should, so the absence of this document is a major problem. Ask about the street address of your bulbs’ ultimate destination, a certificate from the actual recycler, and the turn-around time between when your bulbs arrive and when processing is finished. Processors are heavily regulated by the EPA and each state, so also make sure to ask for references or contact state agencies about environmental and compliance histories, Abernathy advises. Look into the company’s financial health, insurance for general and pollution liability, indemnities or other assurances, permits and approvals for facility operation or transportation, operations, and safety procedures and records, vapor control and monitoring, hygiene and medical surveillance, facility closure plans, audit reports, and key regulatory contacts. How to Find a New Recycler If you’re unsatisfied with your current recycler or just starting a formal lamp re-cycling program, minimize your liability by properly vetting potential business partners. Ask your local electrical distributor about mail-back programs or find national recyclers at lamprecycle.org, advises Joseph Howley, chairman of NEMA’s lamp section and manager of industry relations Risk Management: Any company that quotes you a recycling price should also demonstrate compliance with the same regulatory and environmental criteria you’d apply to a current business partner. If you can’t get satisfying answers, don’t contract with that company. “These are all reasonable questions to ask,” Abernathy says. “But the onus is on you.”

The ALMR and its members take regulatory compliance seriously.  Unfortunately, from time to time we hear about mismanagement and fraud in our industry and it hurts everyone.  We have pointed out in the past that there are people out there who will take your money and claim to recycle, and then not do it, leaving you and the government stuck with the cleanup.

We are reprinting the following article with the permission of the Chicago Tribune.  We hope that any generator of spent lamps will thoroughly check out potential contractors.  Any ALMR member company welcomes your inquiry, or contact the ALMR or a state agency for information.

For the record, the company and its owners discussed in this article have never been part of the ALMR; they never provided us with any evidence of compliance to satisfy our membership criteria.  They will have their day in court and hopefully, any contamination will be cleaned up- in the meantime, we urge you to make sure you know who you are dealing with.

This article is reprinted with permission of the Chicago Tribune

EPA fines light bulb recycler $743,000

Agency says firm left Riverdale warehouse contaminated with mercury

Federal officials are seeking a $743,000 fine against a recycling business that left a Riverdale warehouse contaminated with high levels of poisonous mercury from fluorescent light bulbs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.

The proposed fine against River Shannon Recycling comes after the village of Riverdale shut down the operation in 2008. It had operated without the necessary permits for two years in the village and had thousands of Fluorescent Light Bulbs With Recycle Technologies, some of which were broken, improperly stored in the facility.

In seeking the large fine, the EPA said the warehouse was actually a hazardous waste site and operated without the required permit.

Last month, the Illinois attorney general’s office won an $88,000 judgment against the firm in Cook County Circuit Court for its alleged misuse of two economic development state grants that were supposed to be used to expand the company’s recycling business.
River Shannon owner Laurence Kelly, who has until May 24 to request a formal hearing on the EPA complaint, issued a statement on Thursday but declined to discuss details.
“We look forward to this matter being resolved,” Kelly said. “We are confident we will be vindicated in the end.”

While River Shannon was operating, among its clients were the city of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Commonwealth Edison. The university paid the firm $66,000 until reports about the company’s questionable operation were reported by the Tribune, and then all three clients stopped doing business with the company.

Kelly was convicted in federal court in 1981 for paying bribes to Cook County tax authorities. He served a three-year prison term.

Meanwhile, a federal grand jury has been investigating the firm’s operations, according to sources with knowledge of the probe.

The investigation follows the Tribune reports that the former owner of the warehouse, who is imprisoned on federal fraud charges, said he paid bribes in order to allow the recycling operation to start up.  Lee Anglin, who has pleaded no contest to the fraud charges, said he was questioned at the Metropolitan Correctional Center by FBI agents.

Earth Day month gets us thinking differently about the way we do things

This April 22nd will mark the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day, which some might call an occasion we hope to one day remove from our calendars. Not to suggest, of course, that green living should ever come off our agendas; but what our continued observation of Earth Day shows us is that we still need an eco-friendly reminder when it comes to environmental responsibility and that the crisis and concern out of which Earth Day originated forty years ago still persists today.

Earth Day is largely about education: teaching people ways to help the environment and reminding people that doing a little bit every day can make a big difference over time. For those households and businesses that have already taken the initiative to do things differently; you might consider setting this Earth Day aside to think differently about the way you do things.

Recycling has become the norm among most households and businesses, and yet a lot of the specifics about recycling remain unknown: how equipment gets broken down, how materials get converted, how dangerous substances get handled and how exactly liability gets eliminated. Homeowners who recycle can acquire this information at their leisure, but businesses should not wait or hesitate to ask important questions about what it means exactly to reduce, reuse and recycle.

This Earth Day month, take a moment to Re-examine the 3Rs: ask the right questions, so that you can choose the right recycling solution for your business.

Some people refer to reusing and recycling as though they are the same thing when in fact, the life of a reused product takes a path distinctly separate from that of a recycled product. Let’s take electronic equipment as an example: reused electronics get passed along as is, intact for continued use. Recycled electronics get completely broken down so that their basic parts – scrubbed and separated – can get remanufactured into new products.

In some cases, reuse is the most appropriate form of recycling; but companies with concerns/priorities related to data security will want to make sure that the terms “recycle” and “reuse” correlate to separate processes and do not refer to one and the same thing. The recycling process inherently deals with issues related to data security by reducing electronic equipment to its base materials, which are then separated, shredded, melted, molded and ultimately manufactured into new consumer goods. Reuse continues the useful life of electronics as they are: unprocessed, untreated and undeleted.

Recycle or Reuse? Both have their advantages! But at the end of the day, knowing the difference means knowing what’s best for your business.

KEEP CHECKING IN WITH US THIS EARTH DAY MONTH, AS WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE MOST COMMON AND COSTLY RECYCLING MYTHS & MISTAKES…more to come!

Now, where do you stand on the next 40 years of environmental awareness?

When companies adopt a commercial recycling solution, they do so out of some belief in the process’s ability to reduce waste, generate cost-savings and eliminate liabilities associated with improperly discarded materials. Unfortunately, implementing a recycling solution does not automatically guarantee these outcomes. To avoid making common and costly recycling mistakes, companies must understand the solution they have in place, which involves asking questions, examining assumptions and dispelling myths.

This Earth Day, Recycle Technologies encourages you to enhance your recycling perspective by examining your recycling process. Here are some questions and considerations to get you started:

KNOW YOUR RECYCLER

▪Is your recycler currently licensed and permitted by a credible agency?
▪Has your recycler undergone an inspection by its licensing agency?
▪Does your recycler have any violations?

These are reasonable questions that you should have answers to before going ahead with a recycler. When your liability is at issue, you should always feel free to ask. Keep in mind that a responsible recycler will provide this information upfront before you ask for it.

KNOW THE PROCESS YOUR RECYCLER USES TO RECYCLE YOUR PRODUCTS

When you pay to have your materials recycled, you’re paying to have them broken down, separated, decontaminated, shredded, melted, molded and made available for reuse in industry. Make sure your recycler is not:

▪Selling your equipment as is for reuse: reuse is a great way to continue the useful life of materials, but not necessarily for businesses that deal with confidential client and employee information.

▪Sending your materials to a hazardous waste landfill: landfilling does not eliminate liability and depending on your specific product handling requirements, you might, without even knowing it, be using disposal methods that are illegal as well as irresponsible.

KNOW WHAT CREATES LIABILITY; HOLD YOUR RECYCLER ACCOUNTABLE TO A PROCESS THAT ELIMINATES THAT LIABILITY

Materials like bulbs, batteries, ballasts, and e-scrap require special disposal because they contain harmful contaminants like mercury, cadmium, and lead. Informal disposal of these materials can lead to the leaching of pollutants from landfill and incineration sites, which in turn, can lead to long-term environmental damage and even health risks.

Remember that nowadays, the polluter pays; and even companies that unknowingly contribute to pollution problems (companies that thought they were avoiding this potential by enlisting the services of a recycler) can be held liable for contaminated land, groundwater or other natural resources.

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON RECYCLING; KNOW HOW YOUR POSITION RELATES TO “THE BIG PICTURE”

Some companies are gung-ho to start recycling, while others see it as an obligation rather than an opportunity. Some companies see recycling as a costly and redundant alternative to waste disposal; they have a hard time budgeting beyond the start-up costs and relating their single initiative to the larger environmental picture.

▪Of course, there are start-up costs associated with recycling, but as ecocycle.org points out, these initial costs “will, in the long run, be offset by reduced trash disposal fees and less waste creation.” The website goes onto suggest that consumers respond well to companies known for their environmentally conscious commitments – and this much we can gather from our daily exposure to green-themed ads and “contains recycled materials” claims.

▪The benefits of recycling extend from company to industry to environment. As recycleminnesota.org points out, “Recycling is not just an alternative to traditional solid waste disposal, it is the foundation for large, robust manufacturing industries in the United States which use recyclable materials.” Every contribution counts! One by one, individual commercial recycling initiatives have gone a long way toward supporting our nation’s industries and protecting our nation’s natural resources.

THE LOWEST PRICE ISN’T THE BEST DEAL IF YOU DON’T GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

The low-cost provider is not always the best solution.  When the low ball price wins in an area and drives out the competition, the rates always rise – sometimes double, triple or even quadruple in price because there is no competition left.

When it comes to recycling specifically, the main issue is a liability. The low-cost provider might be cutting corners in order to put forth a cheap deal, and if this is the case, it’s possible that your basic requirements for product handling are not being met. The cheapest price might be tempting at first; but if the job isn’t getting done right, then the service has no value – it means that instead of getting a good deal for something, you’re actually overpaying nothing.

If you’re thinking about getting started with a recycling solution or changing the way your company handles its e-scrap please contact us today with your questions. Recycle Technologies has been green and growing since 1993, and we stand by our process by issuing your company a Certificate of Recycling after pickup.

What is the Air Conditioner made up of?

Air conditioners are built of many metals. Plastic as well as unconventional substances are often employed to minimize weight and cost. Copper or aluminum tubing, which is used in many air conditioner parts, has excellent thermal characteristics, and has a favorable impact on system efficiency.
The components of an air conditioner vary depending on the application, although they are often made of stainless steel along with other corrosion-resistant metal. Self-contained containers that house the refrigeration system are often wrapped in sheet metal that has been painted or powder coated to protect it from the elements.
The working fluid, which flows through the air-conditioning mechanism, is often a liquid with high thermodynamic properties, such as Freon, hydrocarbons, ammonia, or water. These materials, when combining with each other, can prove to be quite toxic for the environment. Air conditioner disposal with proper recycling helps deal with these hazardous materials.

How many types of Air Conditioners do we accept?

Over time multiple types of air conditioners are introduced that each target a specific type of environment. Each type is designed in a unique way with some materials that may differ from other types. Below are some of the air conditioners that can be recycled through Recycle technology.

Central Air Conditioner

A simple air conditioner can be a single unit or the cooling part of your HVAC system, while central air conditioning is a whole-house cooling solution that is perfect for big rooms. It uses fans and ducts to chill air in a main area and distribute it to different rooms.

Ductless Mini-Split

ductless HVAC system, often known as a mini-split, is a form of air-conditioning and heating unit that employs separate, wall-mounted blowers to manage the temperature in a single room or region. Instead of ductwork, the multiple units are linked by a refrigerant line attached to a single outdoor condensing equipment.

Windowless Air Conditioner

Windowless air conditioners are air conditioners that do not need to be installed in a window. Instead, it is often put on the floor or tabletop and comes with a hose that may be vented via a wall or sliding door.

Why is it necessary to perform Air Conditioner Disposal through Recycling?

An air conditioning machine includes refrigerant, which everyone should be informed of. This part of the appliance oversees the air conditioner’s ability to chill your home. The issue with refrigerants is that these are classified as harmful. As a result, you should always exercise caution while air conditioner disposal.
It is entirely prohibited to throw away your air conditioner due to the potential risks of the part. It might not be welcome in several institutions around the country since refrigerant-containing equipment is often seen as a public nuisance. If you accidentally dispose of it in the improper place, you might face legal consequences.