Electronics Recycling Department

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has signed an Executive Order directing the state government to recycle electronics. The order requires state agencies, boards and commissions under the governor’s control to recycle or dispose of obsolete electronic equipment in an environmentally responsible manner.

Additionally, the governor called on the Illinois general assembly to adopt electronics recycling legislation.

Blagojevich’s order was the result of extensive research and recommendations from the Computer Equipment Disposal and Recycling Commission that was established as a result of legislation he signed into law in August 2005. The commission submitted a comprehensive report to Blagojevich and members of the general assembly in May 2006 that identified concerns related to the disposal and recycling of computer equipment as well as potential legislative and regulatory solutions.

In Illinois government, the Department of Central Management Services receives surplus electronic and other equipment from state agencies. The electronics will now be transferred to an external vendor that will ensure proper refurbishment, resale or disposal. Equipment that can be refurbished will be redistributed into Illinois government or made available to schools or local government entities.

Premier Computer Service Inc., Moline, Ill., and its business partner Belmont Technology Remarketing, Elk Grove Village, Ill., have been awarded the state’s disposal contract.

Metech International has announced the expansion of its Worchester, Mass., facility.

The company has increased the processing area of its plant, which is designed for the demanufacturing and certified destruction of systems and materials from the electronics industry and the processing of precious-metals containing materials, from 45,000 square feet to 85,000 square feet. According to the company, the expansion enables Metech to improve its workflow for electronic scrap processing and also allows for the expansion of its precious metals sampling and processing operations.

The ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004 certified facility is also an International Association of Electronic Recyclers (IAER) Certified Electronics Recycler.

"Consumer demand has increased our electronics recycling business," Metech President and CEO Sam Advani says. "Higher volume, plus the expansion of our precious metals processing capabilities, prompted our decision to expand the Worcester operation. This expansion also has enabled work flow improvements and increased process efficiencies."

Metech International (www.metechgroup.com) serves customers in the automotive, electrical and electronic, jewelry and metal processing industries and offers computer and cell phone recycling programs for the disposal of consumer electronics.

According to Metech, its Accountable Resource Management (ARM) program "assures customers complete product stewardship through step-by-step tracking and accountability for all material handling."

Global Electric Electronic Processing (GEEP), headquartered in Barrie, Ontario, was presented with a silver award for Waste Diversion Program Operator at this year’s Ontario Waste Minimization Awards held recently in Toronto. The Recycling Council of Ontario presents the annual award.

GEEP has introduced technology known as the ERP I system, which is in full production at its Barrie facility.

With ERP I, non-disassembled electric and electronic products are shredded by a heavy-duty crusher. Coarse ferrous and nonferrous parts are taken out automatically, while hand-picking stations are used to remove additional valuable fractions, such as motors, transformers, stainless steel parts and circuit boards.

Many of these electronic products contain considerable quantities of mixed plastics, which are separated for use in a "de-polymerization" process that the company will introduce in the first quarter of 2007 at the Barrie location under the name NanoFuels Solutions Inc.

According to GEEP, its ERP I recycling plant is designed to recycle about 6,000 pounds of electric and electronic scrap per hour at a low cost.

More information about Global Electric Electronic Processing is available online at www.geepinc.com.

Intechra Holding Corp., based in Jackson, Miss., has acquired Gold Circuit, an Arizona-based information technology asset disposition (ITAD) company. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"Gold Circuit has built a strong client base and will accelerate our ability to capture more of the recycling market, which we believe is increasingly important to our clients and prospects," Intechra CEO Chip Slack says.

Intechra currently operates facilities in Dallas, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio. The company’s Dallas location can process 1 million pounds of electronic assets per month. With the addition of Gold Circuit’s facility in Casa Grande, Ariz., the company gains 5 million pounds per month of processing capacity, bringing Intechra’s recycling capacity to 6 million pounds, or 250,000 assets, per month.

"Having significant in-house recycling capabilities reduces our reliance on downstream partners and will further enhance our ability to ensure environmental compliance," Slack says.

Jim Greenberg, president of Gold Circuit, founded the company in 1991. Today, Gold Circuit has 81 employees at its two Arizona processing facilities.

"Becoming part of the fastest growing ITAD company in North America makes a lot of sense for Gold Circuit," Greenberg says. "The ITAD industry is consolidating rapidly, and Intechra is driving that consolidation. Having seen them successfully integrate an even larger company this past year, I am also very confident of their ability to successfully bring the two companies together," Greenberg adds.

Intechra merged with RetroBox in January 2006, creating what it claims is the largest vertically integrated ITAD company in the United States.

Intechra plans to merge Gold Circuit’s Chandler plant into its Phoenix processing plant. Gold Circuit’s Casa Grande plant will remain open. Intechra also plans to put processes in place at the Casa Grande plant to achieve ISO quality certification. Intechra’s three existing facilities are ISO certified.