Electronics Recycling

Hewlett-Packard Co. has begun recycling personal computers and other products for Chinese consumers and small businesses, expanding a free program that already existed for large companies, according to PC World.

"We’ve offered recycling to corporate and enterprise customers in China for many years, and now we’re extending this to consumers and small businesses in response to customer demand," says Ryan Donovan, an HP spokesman.

Environmental protection is a growing concern in China, where both cities and the countryside have been ravaged by years of headlong economic growth and heavy pollution from industry. The country has also become a major destination for electronic waste shipped from overseas that has resulted in pollution in the towns where these items are processed.

The program began in September. With the program Chinese consumers can drop off HP computers and other products, such as printers, monitors, and scanners, for recycling at service centers in 31 Chinese cities, the company says. These products will be sorted by HP and then sent out for recycling in China.

HP’s Chinese recycling effort for used PCs will be expanded over the next year to include more cities and additional drop-off points, the company says.

More information about the PC collection and other HP recycling initiatives is available by visiting the company’s Web site www.hp.com.

A United Kingdom-based computer recycling company has purchased a processing system from MeWa Recycling Machinery of Germany.

Following a number of visits to Austria, Germany and Switzerland by its founder Andrew Braysher, Computer Salvage Specialists, Newbury, U.K., has purchased a plant setup that includes MeWa’s patented QZ 1400 case-opening machine.

That unit will be able to process three metric tons of electronic scrap per hour, according to a MeWa news release.

In the MeWa setup, after the primary opening of the cases via the QZ, the product is subject to a series of separation processes before reaching the MeWa UG1000 granulator. The systems are designed to offer compliance with Europe’s WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive.

Computer Salvage specializes in processing IT and computer equipment. The company operates two processing lines at its Newbury facility, one for hardware and the other for televisions and monitors.

The purchase of the MeWa plant will enable Computer Salvage to double its current throughput, according to Trevor Roberts, MeWa’s U.K. sales manager. "We plan to start delivering equipment to site in November with a view to being operational by December of this year," he adds.

"Computer Salvage already possesses a number of other MeWa machines to support its existing activities, but this investment demonstrates the company’s commitment to WEEE recycling," notes Roberts.

Electronics recycler Metech International Inc. has announced it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Centillion Environment and Recycling Ltd. of Singapore for $22 million. The company says the deal was to be completed by the end of September.

Centillion has electronic recycling operations in the United Kingdom and China and operates a joint venture company in Singapore with Veolia Environmental Services Asia Pte Ltd. Eddie Chng, chairman of Centillion, says, "Metech has over 35 years of experience in the electronics recycling and precious metals refining business. They handled over 13 million pounds of materials in FY2006 and 19 million pounds of materials in FY2007, which is a testament of their capabilities in this area."

Sam Advani, president of Metech, says, "This proposed acquisition allows us to better service our multinational customers with a one stop solution for the handling and proper disposition of their electronic materials. We are very excited at the prospect of being part of such a dynamic company with tremendous growth potential. I look forward to working closely with Centillion management to execute on our shared vision of being the only global integrated recycler of electronic waste."

Metech operates facilities in Worcester, Mass.; and Gilroy, Calif., where Metech recently purchased an electronics waste processing plant that it had been leasing previously. Metech also operates electronic scrap collection facilities in Malaysia and Thailand.

Sony has announced the launch of a national recycling program for consumer electronics.

The Sony Take Back Recycling Program began Sept. 15 and allows consumers to recycle Sony branded products for free at 75 Waste Management (WM) Recycle America eCycling drop-off centers throughout the United States. Consumers can also recycle other manufacturers’ consumer electronics products at market prices, which may include a recycling fee for some types of materials.

As the Sony Take Back Recycling program expands, the number of eCycling drop-off centers will increase to at least 150 sites within a year, with at least one location in every state through a combination of WM Recycle America locales and WM external service partners, according to Waste Management. Sony and WM Recycle America are also working toward the goal of having a recycling center within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population. Consumers also have the option of shipping their used Sony electronics products to select WM Recycle America locations for recycling.

"Providing the highest level of service and support doesn’t stop once a purchase is made. We believe it is Sony’s responsibility to provide customers with end-of-life solutions for all the products we manufacture," Stan Glasgow, president and COO of Sony Electronics, says. "Through the Take Back Recycling Program, our customers will know that their Sony products will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner."

Glasgow says the company expects to reach its goal of recycling one pound of old consumer electronics equipment for every pound of new products sold.

"People are seeking services to help them recycle electronic waste responsibly and economically," Patrick DeRueda, president of WM Recycle America, says. "This program serves consumers’ needs by offering a convenient and cost-effective waste management solution, while demonstrating our shared commitment to providing outstanding customer service and environmental stewardship."

A complete list of WM Recycle America eCycling drop-off centers is available at www.wm.com/sony or by calling (877) 439-2795.

Reclamere Inc., Tyrone, Pa., has now exported to 50 countries with its recent sale to South Africa.

The IT asset management company and recycler says it "offers an environmentally safe solution for computer disposal that also allows any organization to remain compliant with the strict federal privacy laws regarding personal data."

The NAID-certified company provides a process for identifying and removing the confidential information that resides on a computer’s hard drive, according to a Reclamere news release. Once cleaned, the hardware can then be resold domestically or internationally.

Reclamere has been refurbishing computers and selling them to developing nations, where the units are often deployed into schools and hospitals, since 2001. "It is a real feel-good business," says Bob Dornich, Reclamere’s president. "We divert millions of pounds of electronics from landfills and then those units are rebuilt and used by folks all over the world."

The town of Fairmont, N.C., recently announced that Advanced Recovery Inc., headquartered in Newark, NJ, will move into a vacant building in the North Carolina city.

According to local press reports, the company is expected to provide around 30 jobs when it is fully operational.

Advanced Recovery dismantles electronic equipment and provides some metals processing.

Electronics recycler Newtech Recycling Inc. has moved into a larger facility in Somerset, N.J.

The company’s recent move from Bridgewater, N.J., to the new facility means it will now have 55,000 square feet of space, "double Newtech’s [former] capacity," according to a company news release.

Established in 1995, Newtech Recycling Inc. engages in the de-manufacturing of end-of-life electronic and computer equipment. The company also provides data destruction services.

More information on the company can be found online at www.newtechrecycling.com.