Electronics Recycling

Sims Group Ltd., based in Australia, has acquired the Indian firm Trishyiraya Recycling India Pvt Ltd. as part of its goal toward growing Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS) e-scrap recycling division in the Asia Pacific region.

Trishyiraya is an established recycler of electrical and electronic equipment in a Special Economic Zone in Chennai, India, an industrial hub and close to several IT centers in the country.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Trishyiraya into our business," Graham Davy, Sims’ Global CEO for SRS, says. "Trishyiraya’s infrastructure in India offers Sims an excellent platform for further growth in an important market. Growing awareness and development of WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) legislation in India offers opportunities from both B2B and end-of-life sectors."

Davy says the addition of Trishyiraya allows SRS to immediately enhance its service offering to international clients. "We also look forward to presenting Trishyiraya’s existing domestic clientele our full service menu and the benefit of our technical and process capabilities," he adds.

The management team includes Kumar Radhakrishnan, who has overall responsibility for SRS Asian Pacific operations, and Subash Warrier, who is responsible for commercial affairs.

Redemtech, an IT asset disposition services provider based in Columbus, Ohio, has announced that it is an early participant in the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program, which was launched in early November.

Its MAR status enables Redemtech to preinstall Windows XP software licenses on refurbished personal computers the company sells in commercial markets.

For the last three years, Redemtech has participated in Microsoft’s Community MAR program for schools, charities and other eligible community entities through its relationship with TechSoup of San Francisco. Redemtech says it has been asking Microsoft for a similar program to give enterprises and consumers low-cost opportunities for license compliance that schools and nonprofits enjoy through TechSoup.

"The Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher Program allows us to affordably provide our customers with their operating system of choice—Windows—with low-cost refurbished OCs, directly increasing the value of our corporate clients’ retired hardware, and the higher value typically leads to more responsible management of IT assets," says Robert Houghton, CEO of Redemtech.

According to Redemtech, its enterprise service customers can expect to see a 10 percent to 40 percent increase in their commission share of electronics Redemtech remarkets for them.

Manufacturers of televisions, desktop and portable computers and monitors sold or offered for sale in the state or Oregon had to register with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) by Monday, Dec. 31, 2007, in preparation for the state’s Electronics Recycling Law.

The law will be fully implemented in January of 2009, but the state will begin collecting registration fees July 1, 2008. Registration fees will range from $40 to $15,000 depending on a company’s share of covered electronic devices (CEDs) sold in Oregon the previous year. Manufacturers must register with the DEQ annually.

According to Kelly Panciera, e-waste program coordinator, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Solid Waste Policy & Program Development, as of early December, 20 manufacturers were registered. The DEQ is forecasting a total of 80 to 150 registered manufacturers.

As part of the registration process, manufacturers had to list their brands and indicate whether they would manage their own statewide collection and recycling programs or participate in the state program as established by the DEQ.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Oregon retailers will be prohibited from selling CEDs from manufacturers that are not in compliance with the law.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition (formerly the Computer TakeBack Campaign) has launched the "Take Back My TV Campaign"  (www.takebackmytv.com) in an attempt to "engage television manufacturers to solve the urgent problem of toxic electronic waste by providing the highest standards of recycling services to consumers," a press release from the organization states.

The campaign launched in conjunction with the holiday retail season when electronics sales are at all-time highs.

Sony Electronics, in partnership with Waste Management Recycle America, is the first TV manufacturer to launch a free national take back program and to sign on to the "Manufacturers’ Commitment to Responsible E-Waste Recycling." Sony promised to not only take back old televisions, but also to make sure its recyclers meet a set of recycling standards, including not exporting the resultant toxic waste to developing countries.

"By signing the manufacturer’s recycling pledge, Sony is abiding by the highest environmental standards for recycling our products and helping provide a long term solution to the growing problem of electronic waste," says Mark Small, vice president of environment, safety and health for Sony Electronics.

In the "Manufacturers’ Commitment to Responsible E-Waste Recycling," manufacturers pledge they will not dump toxic electronic waste on developing countries, avoid the use of prison labor in electronics recycling and refrain from disposing of e-waste in landfills or incinerators, including waste-to-energy incinerators.

A complete list of Waste Management Recycle America eCycling Drop-Off centers is available by calling (877) 439-2795. More information about the Sony Take Back Recycling Program is available at www.sony.com/recycle.