THE IT REVOLUTION’S EFFECTS ON ELECTRONICS RECYCLING. The procurement and use of IT equipment and other
electronics are changing. Major parties in
the supply chain – including value-added resellers, solution providers and reverse
logistics firms – are pushing ahead in IT recovery.
At the same time, OEM lease and take-back programs are expanding. How will this change the flow of corporate and
institutional e-scrap? A leading industry
analyst points the way. -- John Davies, AMR Research
PUTTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN IN REVERSE. Creating efficient aftermarket supply-chain
solutions for used IT equipment can make or break the bottom line in e-scrap recycling. The head of the industry’s trade association
will share the “whys” and “hows” of reverse logistics strategies to
maximize electronics recovery. -- Gailen
Vick, Reverse Logistics Association
E-SCRAP IN THE BIG BOX: MORE
THAN JUST A MIDDLE-MAN. The role of retailers
in the end-of-life management of electronics continues to evolve, but what about the role
they can play at the front end of the product lifecycle?
A top executive at the world’s largest retailer will discuss the firm’s
green computer initiative as well as how the firm is using its powerful purchasing
platform to work with suppliers to make an impact on product lifecycles. -- Mike McCarthy, Wal-Mart
Plenary Session II: The
International Story, Told First Hand. Modern electronics are made, sold and
recycled in the global marketplace. Market
conditions and factors 10,000 miles away may affect how obsolete electronics are handled
in small communities in North America. This
fascinating panel will examine important trends worldwide which will have an impact on
end-of-life management of electronics here and elsewhere.
-- Moderator: Joe Strathmann, Dell, Inc.
INDIA: PART OF E-SCRAP’S NEW
ATLAS. Backyard e-scrap operations have
popped up throughout India to process the growing volumes of e-scrap generated
domestically by the nation’s burgeoning middle-class and well as the rising volumes
of e-scrap imported from developed nations around the world. A representative of a leading Indian environmental
group involved in the national electronics recycling dialogue will provide an overview of
India’s e-scrap infrastructure and outline policies being considered to tackle
current problems. - Satish Sinha, ToxicsLink
LATIN AMERICA: PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Latin American countries are developing a number of intriguing strategies to mitigate the
problems presented by the growing volume of discarded electronics. What policies have leaders in Central and South
America pursued? Is the infrastructure in
place to handle e-scrap generated both foreign and domestically? The author of Recycling and Solid Waste Policy in
Latin America and the Caribbean will share his expertise in this policy area. --
Keith Ripley, Temas Actuales
GLOBAL BRANDS WITH GLOBAL
RESPONSIBILITY. The electronics industry is
truly global, with its merits and its negative impacts.
Greenpeace International has documented the effects of e-scrap exports on
developing countries and is now calling on global OEMs to take responsibility for their
waste worldwide. What are the policy options
and their reasoning? Where do the biggest
brands stand in Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics and why did the
organization rank them this way? --
Martin Hojsik, Greenpeace International
Concurrent Session A
Canada Charts a Different Course. What do Alberta, British Columbia, Nova
Scotia and Saskatchewan have in common? Officials
in these provinces have taken steps to create, or have implemented, province wide e-scrap
collection and processing systems. Electronics
Product Stewardship Canada, a driving industry force in these developments, has put
together a panel of Canada’s top program managers to share their conclusions on how
Canada is addressing its e-waste problem. -- Moderator: Jay Illingsworth,
Electronics Product Stewardship Canada
-- Dale Lyon, Atlantic Canada Electronics Stewardship
-- Doug Merrier, Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia
-- Joan Meyer, Saskatchewan Waste Electronic Equipment Program
-- Brad Schultz, Alberta Recycling Management Authority
Concurrent Session B
Three Critical Elements: Legislation, Collections and Processing. This
panel presents critical analyses and current data on important factors that affect the
success of electronics in the U.S. -- Moderator: Peter Muscanelli, International
Association of Electronics Recyclers
LAWS, LAWS AND MORE LAWS. An unprecedented number of e-scrap bills were
introduced in state capitols this year, presenting a fascinating array of strategies to
recover the ever-increasing number of electronic gadgets and goods being discarded by
consumers and businesses. The nuances of
these measures, as well as the ramifications of their passage, will be discussed by an
expert in the nitty-gritty legislative battles in several states. -- Julie Rhodes
CLEANING OUT THE CLOSETS: BEST
PRACTICES IN EVENT MANAGEMENT. What elements
are crucial to a successful e-scrap collection event?
What are the pitfalls and mistakes that can be avoided? Over the past five years, E-Scrap News has tracked
the success of more than 1,100 local programs throughout the U.S. that host periodic
residential e-scrap collection events. We
have elicited the help of many of vastly experienced program managers from around the
nation to answer these questions. An expert
program manager will share these cross-national best practices in electronics collection. -- Mary Allen, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook
County
DOES 48 CENTS PER POUND ADD UP? Under the nation’s first statewide e-scrap
collection scheme, collectors in California are reimbursed 20 cents for each pound of
covered electronics handled while their processors receive an additional 28 cents to
dismantle covered items. The state waste
management agency has commissioned an important study to determine the true net costs of
recovery and recycling in the state’s one-of-kind system. The results are an important benchmark for use in
designing future recovery systems. -- Ed Boisson,
RW Beck
Concurrent Session C
An A to Z Overview of EPA Initiatives. A multi-stakeholder group convened
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been active in developing a management
guide to running a clean, environmentally sound e-scrap processing business. These best management responsible recycling
practices are likely to become the industry standard nationally, and the group is ready to
field-test the guide. The agency also has
released an important report that establishes a baseline for estimating how much e-scrap
is out there for recovery and defines current management practices. These and other widely recognized initiatives will
be summarized by the key program managers. --
Moderator and Presenter: Clare Lindsay, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
-- Karen Pollard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
-- Bob Tonetti, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Concurrent Session D
Today’s Biggest Processing Issues. Even
though the electronics recycling industry in its present form is very new, substantial
change is on the horizon. For instance, new
types of electronics will soon enter the recycling stream.
At the same time, some parts and materials derived from obsolete electronics are
hard to market, and product resale potential varies widely.
This session will offer practical, forward-thinking reviews of key issues. -- Moderator: Eric Harris, Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries
A FLAT OUT NEW RECYCLING PROBLEM. The sale of CRTs is rapidly dropping, being
squeezed from the market by the high demand for LCD and plasma display devices. With flat panels increasingly being favored by
consumers, it is only a matter of time before these units show up at e-scrap processing
facilities in large numbers. An industry
consultant will share an overview of the issues that surround the processing of plasma and
LCD units, as well as summarize the latest research and developments in their recycling.
-- Betty Patton, Environmental Practices
E-PLASTICS: NEW SOLUTIONS TO AN OLD
PROBLEM? Plastics recovered from electronics
have historically presented problems for some processors, especially if they desired to
have the material used domestically. The wide
mixture of resins and plastic additives used in electronics make finding stable end-use
markets a challenge for many. A widely
respected plastics industry consultant will share an overview of current conditions and
challenges. -- Nina Bellucci, Moore Recycling
Associates
DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS. What will be tomorrow’s value for the
computer being used today? A leading e-scrap
processing firm analyzed data and trends from the resale of more than 60,000 desktop and
laptop computers the firm tested, cleaned, repaired and/or refurbished for resale over the
past four years. The head of the firm will
present the model the company created to benchmark data for enterprises embarking on IT
asset management, plus show how to establish the value by active planning in responsible
IT asset disposal. -- Neil Peters-Michaud,
Cascade Asset Management
Plenary
Session III: American and European Learning Lessons. Extensive data has been
gathered and analyzed regarding the successes and failures of current regulated e-scrap
recovery programs in the U.S. and in Europe. This
session provides a comprehensive assessment of what we now know about these programs.
-- Moderator: Wayne Rifer, Green Computer Council and EPEAT
NEW STATE E-SCRAP PROGRAMS: A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OR A BUSINESS
BUST FOR PROCESSORS? The National Center for
Electronics Recycling has translated the regulatory nuances of recently adopted state
electronics recycling measures into operational terms for processors. Will small local processors survive in an OEM
take-back environment? What are the
environmental standards that processors must live by if they want to play in these
regulated environments? What types of
processors will fare well in these distinctly different environments, and which ones will
not? -- Jason Linnell, National Center for
Electronics Recycling
THE HARD FACTS – INCLUDING COSTS -- OF STATE PROGRAMS. New data is being generated in states that now
have an on-the-ground electronics recycling system. NCER
has gathered the data and crunched the numbers. This
presentation looks at the recycling and administrative costs of three operating systems,
compares the collection totals from the programs, notes how manufacturers are responding
to requirements and offers a detailed look at what was recovered in Maine’s first
year. -- Jason Linnell, National Center
for Electronics Recycling
EUROPE: WHAT DO WEEE
NOW KNOW? An important EU report on the
European WEEE system has been issued. This
assessment considers the environmental, economic and social impacts of the implementation
of the electronics and electrical goods recycling directive. Based on these findings, a new set of options to
change and improve WEEE has been released. Find
out the lessons learned by our European counterparts. -- Federico Magalini,
United Nations University
Concurrent Session E: Important and Useful Updates. This
panel offers comprehensive and informative overviews of three important topics. --
Moderator: Renee St. Denis, Hewlett-Packard
WHAT’S NEXT FOR EPEAT? In
just one year, over 550 products (laptops, desktops and monitors) have been declared on
the EPEAT website. Given the tremendous
success of this environmentally preferable procurement tool, a looming question remains
– which electronic products should be next for development of environmental
standards? The project manager of the EPEAT
Standards Development Roadmap Project will talk about the recommendations generated during
this recently completed stakeholder process. -- Pamela
Brody Heine, Eco Stewardship Strategies and Zero Waste Alliance
EXCITING RESEARCH IN ACADEMIA’S IVY TOWERS. Universities and research institutes have
generated some of the most influential research and development, which contribute to
advances in the field of electronics recycling. A
summary of the more prominent projects that have been undertaken will be provided by a
widely known researcher. -- Reggie Caudill,
New Jersey Institute of Technology
SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST.
The materials handled in a typical e-scrap plant, plus the equipment used,
such as forklift trucks, conveyors and shredders, are just a few of the many ways a
facility’s operation can be a threat to worker safety.
For the first time, a worker safety expert at a key federal agency will
share operational safety information specific to the electronics recycling industry. -- Marilyn
Velez, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Concurrent Session F: Starting From Scratch, State by State.
In this important session, state representatives from a handful of states will outline
their recipes for a successful e-scrap recovery system.
The newly approved electronics recycling laws in Minnesota, North Carolina,
Oregon and Washington are all unique. This
session is designed lay out the framework to be implemented in each state and to describe
the logic behind each system. -- Moderator: Scott Cassel, Product Stewardship
Institute
-- Garth Hickle, State of Minnesota
-- Scott Mouw, State of North Carolina
-- Jay Shepard, State of Washington
-- Jan Whitworth, State of Oregon (invited)
Plenary Session IV: Mergers, Acquisitions, New Investments. How is the Industry Changing? As in past years, we close the
conference with a thorough review of the key trends affecting the recovery of obsolete
electronics in the U.S. and Canada. This year
we provide special attention to the movement to toward industry consolidation. This discussion is based in part on important
research undertaken solely for the conference. -- Moderator: Jerry Powell, E-Scrap News
RECYCLING TRENDS, RECYCLING ISSUES. E-Scrap News surveyed more than 100 electronics reclaimers throughout the U.S.
and Canada about hot issues, including the role of exports, current market conditions,
industry economics, etc. You’ll learn
about what’s hot, what’s not and what will most affect the reclamation industry
in the years ahead. -- Jerry Powell, E-Scrap News
WHAT DO KEY INDUSTRY EXPERTS SAY?
After presenting these findings, we’ll then ask a panel of respected
industry leaders to offer their views and responses.
Find out where the major experts see the industry headed.
- Graham Davy, Sims
Recycling Solutions
-- Bob Houghton, Redemtech
-- Mick Schum, WeRecycle!
-- Chip Slack, Intechra
Electronics
scrap processors