Jori Pascarella
Electronics recycling has been on the rise in the environmental industry due to increased State laws and the awareness of the dangers that can derive from improper recycling. Special handling of the material is required to ensure proper disposal. In 2011, 3.41 million tons of e-waste was generated in the U.S. Only 850,000 tons or 24.9 percent of this amount had been recycled, according to the EPA. The rest of the material was either put in landfills or incinerated.
Disposing of Raw Materials Properly
Basic raw materials that exist in electronics consist of aluminum, steel, copper, lead, gold, precious metals and various plastics. Each raw material is used in multiple industries to create new products. It is the recycler’s responsibly to make sure that they are sending their raw materials to a legitimate manufacturer. Visiting the manufacturer, auditing their facilities, requesting MSDS and obtaining an end result product are all ways recyclers can make sure that the raw materials are being used properly. In turn, this will help the recycler obtain certain certifications, such as the R2/RIOS and eStewardship, that are sought out in the e-waste industry.
In order to ensure proper recycling, businesses and consumers have to also do their part. To start, they need to research and find a responsible certified recycler that is capable of handling the product and the raw materials that are generated through the demanufacturing process. The demanufacturing process is when the product is carefully separated and labeled, then sorted based on the manufacturer of the product and equipment type. At this time the product is disassembled by hand using hand held tools. Each raw material is extracted and then sorted. Once there is enough accumulated of the same kind of raw material, the material is then packaged specifically to the downstream manufactures needs.
Providing Training and Safety
Recycling facilities need to provide proper training to their employees with regards to handling the various types of products that can come through their doors. There are specific certifications that a company can obtain to help them provide a safe environment for their employees such as the ISO 9001 and OSHAS 18001. Safety classes should be done on an annual basis. Audits should be performed on recycling facilities to help the recycler improve their process and better understand the need for properly disposing of the materials. Basic steps would include setting up an appointment with the facilities manager. The next step would be to go to the facility for a site tour. At this time you would look at the operational process, the recycling equipment and to see how the company handles the material. Once you have gathered the information you can decide if partnering up with that recycler fits best for your companies needs.
Partnering with an Electronics Recycler
When a company is looking to create a partnership with an electronics recycler, there are some qualifications that they should look for. They should go to the company’s Web site and see if they display any certifications pertaining to the e-waste recycling industry. Most companies would boost the fact that they carry these certifications. If you are not familiar with them, the basic ones consist of: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001, AAA NAID, R2/RIOS and eStewardship. These certifications ensure that these companies have taken multiple steps to ensure the quality of the environment and their employees while handling these types of products.
Other qualifications would be for a company to do their own audit of the recycling facilty. If it is a legitimate recycler, their doors will always be open. Finally, always ask questions. Examples would be, how long have you been in business? Have you ever been hit with any fines from the State or Federal EPA? All of these concerns will better help you in choosing the proper recycler for your specific needs. Just don’t pick a recycler based on the cheapest cost. Cost should play a factor as the bottom line is important but proper recycling should always be a must.
A Healthier Future
As manufactures continue to improve our technology, consumers and corporations will always upgrade to the next big invention. E-waste will continue to rise year after year which leaves us to be more responsible in the choices when it comes to the disposal of the obsolete products. Each step we take to improve our environment, promises for a healthier future.
Jori Pascarella is a Business Developer for Intercon Solutions (Chicago Heights, IL). She has been working for Intercon Solutions for almost five years. She has always cared about the environment by not wasting water and not littering. Her first job in the environmental industry, she started working at Intercon to open up her understanding of how important the environment is and it has become not only her career but her passion. Jori’s biggest obstacle is educating people on why it’s important to recycle and how you can make that happen. She can be reached at (708) 756-9838, via e-mai at [email protected] or visit www.interconrecycling.com.