Electronics Recycling

Intechra Holding Corp., Jackson, Miss., has secured $30 million in new equity funding from Richland Ventures of Nashville, Oxford Bioscience Partners of Boston and First Avenue Partners of Nashville.

Intechra says it plans to use the funds to support its growth strategy.

"Our clients are demanding an expanded breadth of services and geographic reach to serve their needs," Chip Slack, Intechra CEO, says. "This additional equity capital significantly enhances our ability to do both and complete our growth plan over the next two years, including our global growth strategy."

During the past two years, Intechra has attracted more than $50 million in private equity funding.

Matt Gibbs, general partner of Oxford Bioscience Partners, says, "We see electronics life-cycle management as a growth segment, particularly with its critical importance to large health care and life science companies, which are under tremendous pressure to comply with data security and environmental disposal regulations."

Co-investors in the financing include Chrysalis Ventures, Sewanee Partners and SJF Ventures, among others.

The New York State’s Empire State Development Agency has awarded a grant of $500,000 to WeRecycle!, an electronics recycling company based in Wallingford, Conn. The company will use the money to open a new electronics recycling facility in Mount Vernon, N.Y.

The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency has agreed to serve as an intermediary for the grant, which WeRecycle! will use to buy shredding and separation equipment.

According to WeRecycle!, at least 2,600 tons of material would be processed each year at the Mount Vernon plant, generating sales revenue of $572,000.

WeRecycle! also operates a secure processing facility in Meriden, Conn.

More information is available online at www.werecycle.com.  

Austin, Texas-based Round2 Technologies Inc., a provider of technology recycling, remarketing and refurbishing services, has announced the opening of a branch office in Houston.

The Houston branch provides warehouse space for its clients’ surplus or obsolete electronics.

"Our new Houston warehouse will be more convenient for many south Texas customers who are currently being served through our Austin headquarters," Randy Weiss, Round2 president, says. "The warehouse space is directly tied to our logistics department and can handle up to 15 tons of electronics per day. With the new legislation, we feel it is even more important to have warehouse locations close to our customers."

Round2 says its "Revenue-Based Recycling" programs maximize the value of a company’s technology equipment by eliminating fiscal and environmental liability. Round2’s core competency is finding the most lucrative markets for systems, components and commodities, according to the company.

More information on Round2 is available online at www.round2tech.com.  

Connecticut Governor Signs Electronics Recycling Bill

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has signed into law a bill that establishes a mandatory recycling program for certain major electronic devices, including computers and televisions, generated within the state.

The law, substitute House Bill 7249, requires electronics manufacturers, beginning in 2009, to register their devices with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and to pay annual fees that will be used to recycle the devices. Cities and towns are required to provide recycling for these devices, including making arrangements for collection and transportation of the devices to a DEP-approved recycler.

The law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, exempts some small electronic devices, including cell phones, calculators and pagers. A provision requiring the DEP to begin drawing up regulations took effect July 1, and a provision allowing the DEP to join an existing regional electronics recycling organization took effect at passage.

The Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia (ESABC) has introduced a drop-off collection program for electronics that will be available throughout the province beginning Aug.1, 2007. The program is available to residents and businesses in British Columbia.

Authorized collection sites are identified by a "Return-It Electronics" symbol. The locations also can be found at www.electronicsrecyclingbc.ca.

Encorp Pacific, based in Burnaby, British Columbia, manages the collection program.

ESABC is a nonprofit corporation established by manufacturers, retailers and others in response to the British Columbia Recycling Regulation amendment of February 2006. Approved by the B.C. Ministry of Environment in December 2006, the ESABC plan is the only waste electronics product management program that, to date, has been approved by the government of British Columbia.

Sean De Vries, chairman of ESABC and environmental manager of Panasonic Canada, says, "With our Encorp partnership and their existing infrastructure of depots and proven capabilities in managing BC’s beverage recycling program, we are well positioned to administer the new program."

Consumers, producers and retailers of new electronics products will carry the cost of the program. As of the Aug. 1 launch date, an environmental handling fee levied on the sale of new products in the designated categories is being used to fund the program.

Environmental handling fees are $15 to $45 (depending on size) for televisions; $10 for desktop computers (including accessories); $8 for desktop printers; $5 for notebook computers and $12 for monitors.

Encorp is headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia.

More information about the electronics recycling collection program is available online at the Encorp Web site, www.encorp.ca, or by calling
(800) 330-9767.