E-Scrap Best Practices Virginia Recycling Association 2016 Conference, Roanoke VA Megan Tabb. Synergy Recycling, LLC 765-438-1297. mtabb@synergyrecycling.com
What are we talking about? Who is Synergy Recycling? How is e-scrap processed? Hazards in electronics recycling Improper recycling cases Best practices for choosing your vendor
Synergy Recycling, LLC 2000: Company was founded in Mayodan, NC 2009: Company moved to Madison, NC Services a geographical area that covers Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Tennessee and West Virginia
How is e-scrap processed?
How is e- Scrap processed? Manual disassembly Automatic disassembly Smelters Refineries Mills
Why is there a charge to recycle TV s?
Why is there a charge to recycle TV s? Older TVs, CRT CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube A cathode ray tube contains 3-4 lbs of lead and is very expensive to process responsibly Newer TV s, LCD and Plasma LCD and Plasma TV s contain mercury bulbs which are also very expensive to handle
Composition of a CRT TV 11% 7% 2% 80% Leaded Glass Plastics Module Board Copper
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
HIPS Plastic High Impact Polystyrene
Copper Yoke
Module Board
Degaussing Wire
Misc Wire
Why is there a charge to recycle TV s? Overall value determined by individual item value and percent composition Here are some examples:
Teardown Analysis: CRT Television (non wooden console) Total TVs: Total Weight: Avg Weight: 50 3890 lbs 77.8 lbs Commodities Total Weight (lbs) Weight per TV Percentage of Weight Price Per Pound Total Per TV Copper Yokes 70 1.40 1.80% $0.49 $0.69 Degaussing Wire 24 0.48 0.62% $1.12 $0.54 Misc Wire 18 0.36 0.46% $0.48 $0.17 Module Boards 271 5.42 6.97% $0.20 $1.08 HIPS 439 8.78 11.29% $0.11 $0.97 CRT Glass 3068 61.36 78.87% -$0.18 -$11.04 Total Per TV -$7.60 Total Per Lb -$0.10 Processing Cost -$0.20 Overall Cost -$0.30
Teardown Analysis: CRT Television (non wooden console) Example: Copper Removed Total TVs: Total Weight: Avg Weight: 50 3507 lbs 70.14 lbs Commodities Total Weight (lbs) Weight per TV Percentage of Weight Price Per Pound Total Per TV Copper Yokes 0 0 0 $0.49 $0.00 Degaussing Wire 0 0 0 $1.12 $0.00 Misc Wire 0 0 0 $0.48 $0.00 Module Boards 0 0 0 $0.20 $0.00 HIPS 439 8.78 11.29% $0.11 $0.97 CRT Glass 3068 61.36 78.87% -$0.18 -$11.04 Total Per TV -$10.08 Total Per Lb -$0.14 Processing Cost -$0.20 Overall Cost -$0.34
Teardown Analysis: CRT Television (non wooden console) Example: The Good Old Days Total TVs: Total Weight: Avg Weight: 50 3890 lbs 77.8 lbs Commodities Total Weight (lbs) Weight per TV Percentage of Weight Price Per Pound Total Per TV Copper Yokes 70 1.40 1.80% $1.10 $1.54 Degaussing Wire 24 0.48 0.62% $2.20 $1.06 Misc Wire 18 0.36 0.46% $1.05 $0.38 Module Boards 271 5.42 6.97% $0.45 $2.44 HIPS 439 8.78 11.29% $0.18 $1.58 CRT Glass 3068 61.36 78.87% -$0.10 -$6.14 Total Per TV $0.86 Total Per Lb $0.01 Processing Cost -$0.20 Overall Cost -$0.19
Hazards of Electronics Recycling
Hazards of Electronics Recycling Mercury Found mainly in flat panel TV s and monitors Universal Waste Many of these devices still have recoverable value
Hazards of Electronics Recycling Lead Found in circuit boards and cathode ray tubes Over time, lead can leach into ground water and soil The industry is seeing more and more cases of improper handling of leaded glass
Hazards of Electronics Recycling Improper handling of leaded glass How can you make sure that the material from your program is handled responsibly?
1. Make sure your vendor is actually processing electronics Stone Castle Recycling Processor in Utah Three sites recently experienced fires 15 million lbs of charred electronic residues were left behind Arson investigation was inconclusive The company s owner fled
2. Make sure that your processor is shipping out the CRT glass that it is generating Creative Recycling Systems Filed for bankruptcy October 2014 Left 30 million lbs of CRT s in warehouses across the east cost 9 million lbs left at its Raleigh NC facility Abandonment order approved by the court awarded ownership of all assets (including CRT glass) to Regions Bank and the facility landlords
2. Make sure that your processor is shipping out the CRT glass that it is generating Creative Recycling Systems Quote from company trustee, Jerry McHale Going back in history, to me, it looks like there was no strategic plan as to how they were going to solve their glass problem. Something should have occurred far earlier to take care of it or to adjust their pricing to reflect the fact that they were going to have to pay 15 or 20 cents a pound to get rid of that glass."
Teardown Analysis: CRT Television (non wooden console) Example: No CRT Cost Total TVs: Total Weight: Avg Weight: 50 3890 lbs 77.8 lbs Commodities Total Weight (lbs) Weight per TV Percentage of Weight Price Per Pound Total Per TV Copper Yokes 70 1.40 1.80% $0.49 $0.69 Degaussing Wire 24 0.48 0.62% $1.12 $0.54 Misc Wire 18 0.36 0.46% $0.48 $0.17 Module Boards 271 5.42 6.97% $0.20 $1.08 HIPS 439 8.78 11.29% $0.11 $0.97 CRT Glass 3068 61.36 78.87% -$0.00 -$0.00 Total Per TV $3.45 Total Per Lb $0.04 Processing Cost -$0.20 Overall Cost -$0.16
2. Make sure that your processor is shipping out the CRT glass that it is generating Materials Processing, LLC Minnesota company Fined $125,000 for storing 5 million lbs of crushed CRT glass in more than 100 semi trailers around Minneapolis and St Paul
3. Make sure that your vendor s downstream glass processor is legitimate. Dlubak Glass processor in Arizona Closed its Yuma facility and left substantial tonnages of unprocessed and potentially hazardous material outside.
3. Make sure that your vendor s downstream glass processor is legitimate. Diversified Recycling Shipped glass to a company called Sarah s Trading in Georgia Sarah s Trading went on to landfill the glass at a local construction demolition debris landfill that was not authorized to handle the CRT glass
3. Make sure that your vendor s downstream glass processor is legitimate. L&Y Enterprise Electronic scrap broker Owner plead guilty to smuggling CRTs into Asia Labeled the containers as scrap plastic and scrap metal Faces up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines
3. Make sure that your vendor s downstream glass processor is legitimate. Closed Loop Refining and Recovery CRT Processor in Ohio, planned to build furnace. Currently have over 90 million pounds of stockpiled CRT material at its sites in Columbus, OH and Phoenix, AZ
How to make sure this doesn t happen to you 1. Make sure that your vendor is actually processing electronics Request a visit to their facility
How to make sure this doesn t happen to you 2. Make sure that your processor is shipping out the CRT glass that it is generating Request BOL s showing shipment of CRT glass to an approved downstream vendor
How to make sure this doesn t happen to you 3. Make sure that your processor s downstream vendor is legitimate Request proof of audit of the glass processor Do a web search for the processor Search EPA ECHO website to check for environmental violations
How to make sure this doesn t happen to you Look for one of these certifications References
Questions?? Megan Tabb. Synergy Recycling, LLC 765-438-1297. mtabb@synergyrecycling.com