2007 Electronics Recycling Supplement - Connections to Make

When Recycling Today hosted its first Electronics Recycling Conference & Trade Show this June, it was anticipated that attendees would include veterans of this industry sector as well as those still weighing whether to enter the business.

The veterans did indeed show up, with many of them serving as speakers and moderators at the program’s sessions. In fact, two presentations from industry veterans are included in this year’s Electronics Recycling Supplement.

As anticipated, those with a curiosity about this emerging industry also attended, often by registering for the Electronics Recycling Conference program as an add-on to a registration to either Recycling Today’s Plastics Recycling Conference or our Paper Recycling Conference.

Programming also included sessions open to all three segments, including one titled "Cross-Marketing Opportunities."

At this educational session, speakers who either handle a combination of traditional materials as well as electronics or who have forged alliances across sectors were able to describe how they manage to participate in several markets.

The session was well attended and garnered a host of audience questions regarding the pros, the cons and the unknowns of collecting and processing electronic scrap.

The issues and challenges are very real, ranging from environmental compliance to data security to engaging in the enterprise profitably. While recyclers of paper, metals and plastics have similar challenges, the relative youth of electronics recycling as a segment creates unknowns.

Recycling Today readers who are electronics recycling veterans and those who are relative rookies are urged to save the dates of next year’s paper, plastics and electronics recycling conferences, which will take place June 22-24 in Chicago.