8/23/2005GE goes green
For the past two hundred years, big business has been an opponent and oftentimes a polluter of the world’s waterways, air and ecosystems. Having personally worked at GE for Jeff Immelt and knowing his integrity and honesty, I believe that GE will achieve its objective and become the model corporate global citizen. It will be refreshing to see the GE move from the image of "Neutron Jack" (former CEO Jack Welch) to a "Green Jeff" era of the early 21st century. GE still commands the attention of the business world and it is setting a great example to many companies throughout the world. Similarly, Maxus Technology is creating the corporate infrastructure and heightening awareness of the growing problem of e-Waste. Hopefully, small and large companies can unite in a common effort to create a healthier and cleaner environment for all people throughout the world. Patrick Mulvey 8/17/2005e-waste in India and China
The latest Greenpeace report on e-waste in China and India is receiving widepread attention in the media. And well it should. In spite of manufacturers recycling programs – HP said it is on track to recycle 1 billion pounds of electronics by The industry must work much harder to protect these countries from e-waste. When PCs pollute--CNET To give a sense of the overall scale of the problem, Greenpeace cited a UN Environment Program report, which found that between 20 million and 50 million tons of e-waste is produced worldwide annually. In China alone, according to the UN report, 4 million PCs are discarded each year. The Greenpeace study in March 2005 took more than 70 samples of dust, soil, river sediment and groundwater from sites in the area of Guiyu, in China’s Guangdong province, and in the suburbs of New Delhi. It found that the heavy metals most commonly found in elevated levels included lead and tin, used in solder; copper, from wires and cables; cadmium, from batteries and solder joints; and antimony, from flame retardants. In the Chinese workshops, the dust collected was found to have "concentrations of lead (that) were hundreds of time higher than typical levels for indoor dusts in other parts of the world." In India, traces of metals such as lead, tin and copper were found in quantities five to 20 times higher than background levels. 8/16/2005Maine is poised to be the next state to enact major e-waste legislation.
State works on details of ‘e-waste’ plan–Portland Press Herald The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing Thursday on a proposed rule spelling out the details of an electronic waste recycling law passed by the Legislature last year. It will accept written comments on the plan until Aug. 28. The rule would allow communities to set up their own collection systems, create market incentives for companies to sort the waste and take it away, and limit manufacturers’ costs to 48 cents for each pound of waste traced back to their factories. If adopted as planned this fall, the rule will clear the way for Maine’s recycling program to start by March. 8/11/2005The Feds Take On Electronic Trash
The Feds Take On Electronic Trash –Forbes "I had heard of e-mail and e-commerce," Thune mused. "I guess it makes sense that we have e-waste." For business, what makes sense is that Congress pay more attention to e-waste now. Speaking on behalf of the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition, an industry group representing the likes of Circuit City Stores and Target, Michael Vitelli of Best Buy said his group favored "a national solution to the issue of electronic waste." Vitelli noted that in the first half of 2005, 50 e-waste bills were introduced by 30 state and local legislatures. 8/8/2005e-waste in the newsSaying ‘So Long’ to E-Waste From cellphones to iPods, from PDAs to PCs, Americans love the latest gadget. Yet this profusion of innovation also creates a problem: obsolete electronic devices, many with toxic parts, are stacking up in closets and basements, and eventually end up in a dump. In all, Americans own about 2 billion electronic gizmos, or 25 per household. This "e-waste" is only about 2 percent by weight of the nation’s municipal solid-waste stream, yet it is one of the fastest growing segments. It’s especially troublesome because circuit boards, cathode ray tubes, and flat-panel displays contain toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, or lead that are considered harmful if they leach into local groundwater.      Each year, some 50 million computers and 20 million televisions become obsolete, according to a recent Government Accountability Office study. But only about 10 percent of e-waste is recycled, the rest is landfilled, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates. And as consumers throw out their conventional TV sets for digital high-definition television, the worry is that these old TVs will put billions of pounds of lead into the environment. 7/28/2005National e-waste legislation receives support from CEA
Arlington, Virginia In testimony submitted today to the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund and Hazardous Waste, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) called for a national framework for electronic waste management. The testimony came as the subcommittee convened to discuss the issue of e-waste disposal and recycling. CEA emphasized that finding a solution to the public policy challenge of e-waste is a priority for the organization and hopes to work with Congress and all interested parties to reach a common-sense, national solution that makes recycling as convenient as possible for all Americans, recognizes the economic and marketplace reality facing consumer electronics manufacturers and protects innovation. 7/25/2005Australian Govt crackdown on e-waste exports –Sidney Morning Herald Dealers and exporters of used electronic equipment face tough new criteria to prevent the unauthorised export of hazardous electronic waste (e-waste), the Federal Government says. Environment Minister Ian Campbell said special inspectors would ensure the criteria were applied. "I am concerned with the large and increasing volume of used electronic equipment sent to countries where we know there’s a considerable cottage industry involved in recycling e-waste," Senator Campbell said in a statement yesterday. "These operations, in trying to recover copper and precious metals from the equipment, can cause severe pollution to their waterways and air, as well as exposing workers, including children, to harmful heavy metals and other toxins. "Over the past 18 months my department has been working with representatives of the IT industry, including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), IT lease companies, recyclers and exporters to develop an acceptable set of clear criteria for defining hazardous e-waste." 7/19/2005E-waste recycling program hits strideUS e-waste legislation is heating up as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on Environment California’s E-waste recycling program hits stride PIONEERING LAW GAINS GROUND IN FIRST MONTHS By Karl Schoenberger Mercury News California’s pioneering electronic-waste recycling law was as confusing for the big recycling operators as it was for collectors and consumers when it went into force at the beginning of the year. But after struggling with vague regulations and burdensome red tape during the first six months of operation, recyclers say the system is starting to work. The complicated financial scheme that supports the recycling of hazardous computer monitors and television tubes is generating payments – if the paperwork is in order. A lot is riding on the success of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2003. The legislation was the first in the nation to attack the scourge of toxic e-waste piling up in America’s garages and landfills. More than 3,000 tons of electronics are discarded daily in the United States, and 50 million computers become obsolete every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As many as three e-waste bills have been introduced in Congress this term, one similar to California’s approach of using retail fees to finance recycling and two others proposing tax incentives to persuade producers to recycle their products. Maine and Maryland passed e-waste laws over the past two years, and legislation has been introduced in more than 20 other states this year. Responding to the rising public interest, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials has scheduled a hearing on e-waste Wednesday. 7/18/2005Senate e-waste bill moves ahead The bad news: the legislation is buried in the energy bill over which the House and Senate are battling. We have to wait for this one to pass until the fall session. Amendment To Energy Bill By Senator Wyden Of Oregon Promotes E-Waste Recycling–Medford News An amendment written by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and accepted into the Senate energy bill will give American recyclers a tax credit to help buy equipment that can be used to recycle electronic waste. The Wyden amendment adds electronic waste to the list of qualified recyclable materials covered under the recycling equipment tax credit in the tax title of the energy bill. That provision would allow businesses to claim a credit of as much as 15 percent of the cost of equipment used to process recyclables such as newsprint, plastic and aluminum - and now, electronic waste. 7/14/2005e-waste in the news: WEEE lands UK in court
Meanwhile, the e-waste continues to pile up…. WEEE: e-waste failure could see UK in court–Silicon.com The UK could be dragged before the European Court for its failure to implement laws that would make manufacturers responsible for the recycling of IT waste. The European Commission announced on Monday that it was taking legal action against Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland and the UK. All eight countries have yet to enact the EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive into national law. A spokeswoman for the EC’s environment commissioner told ZDNet UK: "We need an explanation as to why countries can’t implement legislation. This directive had been on the books for a long time, and other countries have implemented it." 6/29/2005e-waste in the news
Tyco, Acer, IBM and HP India are forming a taskforce to propose draft legislation which deal with e-waste issues in India, where domstic e-waste is estimated to be over 140,000 tons per year…this comes right on the heels of the Wipro e-waste scandal …the Indian IT services firm has been served a show cause notice by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for "illegally generating and transporting e-waste"….A new $12 million electronic waste treatment and recovery center, the first of its kind in north China, will be put into operation in the Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA) this coming September. With the operation of the center, all the electronic waste in north China will be converted into useful materials and recycled…the US Congress is making rapid progress on national legislation. Recently, four members of Congress said they were forming the Congressional E-Waste Working Group. They are Mike Thompson, Duke Cunningham and Mary Bono of California and Louise Slaughter of New York. They say more than 50 million devices are thrown away each year…. 6/13/2005Dell Rolls Out Lead-Free Chassis to Meet RoHS Goals
MONTE CARLO – Dell today Dell exceeded product recovery goals set for its last fiscal year and Last year, the company committed to increase product recovery from customers 6/9/2005Study: 30% Bay Area Businesses Do Not Recycle Electronics
Still, it is shocking to learn from this research that so many San Francisco Bay Area businesses are falling behind the ecycling curve. In a comprehensive study conducted by Code-Green of 100 Bay Area small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs), roughly 30% did not fully engage in e-Recycling. Over 60% of businesses surveyed claimed managing their e-Recycling project takes ‘more effort than it should’. Only 35% were clear about the e-Recycling reuse and recycling options available to them. These responses may explain the low rates of e-Recycling among small-to-midsize businesses. Despite the plethora of computer recyclers in the Bay Area, small-to-midsize businesses (SMB) have very specific needs which are not being met by current service providers, whether for-profit or non-profit. Specifically, these SMB’s require: * A single point of contact to pick-up and dispose of all end-of-life electronics including working/unworking computers, printers, monitors, cell phones, routers, and other electronics such as copiers and postal equipment. * A partner that will help them achieve their core philanthropic objectives. * Simplified fee schedule or free pick-up of electronics. Complicated fee schedules were cited as a common frustration amongst businesses. A myriad of different fees for various electronics and different forms of pricing (ie: "per item", "per pound") deterred smaller businesses from recycling. Also a minimum pick-up fee was often a significant deterrence. * Bay-Area wide geographic coverage. Current e-Recycling efforts are local, making it inconvenient for business scattered throughout the Bay Area to drop-off electronics or have them picked up. Sounds like the ewaste industry needs to think a lot harder about the customers needs, especially how we can simplify the process and make it cost effective. 6/3/2005Similar type of abuses: e-waste and steroids
We are living on the edge of a similar predicament in the e-waste world. Many companies are looking at the upcoming e-waste legislation in Europe and the USA and preparing themselves for operational and regulatory environments in the near future. One aspect of these regulations is that they are also retrospective/retroactive. A corporation will be liable in the future for its present eWaste practices, just like the steroid abusing ballplayer who didn’t get caught until years later. An old PC found in the Rhine River will have serious ramifications for a company in 2007 even if the rusting PC was dumped into the Rhine this past year. So, it is very important to get current with future regulations as quickly as possible. In the near future, the headlines may well turn from abuse of steroids to what is really happening with so much of the e-waste which is being mishandled. It is for these reasons Maxus Technology has a track record of protecting the environment, both for ourselves and for our customers. Patrick Mulvey, CEO 5/30/2005New York City council to introduce e-waste bill
Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg is pushing for a Federal standard, saying that a city eCycling bill would hurt retailers. Under the proposed law, manufacturers would have to submit a plan for Now the bill is turning into a political football that could play a big part in the upcoming election. From WNYC: Speaker Miller to Introduce E-Waste Recycling Bill by Amy Eddings REPORTER: The Bloomberg Administration favors a federal approach; a spokesman for the MILLER: That sounds like a big excuse for inaction to me. REPORTER: 5/25/2005Corporate decision making and eWaste policies
Today, with pending legislation, there are enormous liabilities involved if eWaste ends up in the wrong hands (countries where imported eWaste is illegal) or the wrong places (landfills, rivers, bays, etc) Additionally, there are significant intellectual property theft opportunities when electronic assets end up in the hands of competitors both domestic and international. All of these issues are creating the environment where eWaste policies are becoming more and more the domain of the Executive management group, with legal and environmental staff taking a leading role in decision making. A recent interesting development is the commitments of Jeff Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of General Electric, to commit the giant corporation towards ecomagination, a global program aimed at "aggressively bringing to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges." Having worked for Jeff Immelt in the past, I am sure this new initiative will be aggressively pursued and will result in raising the bar for all corporations as environmental concerns become paramount in the executive suite and Boardroom. Maxus Technology is also meeting this challenge by designing a number of strategic products that assist a corporation in tracking its eWaste assets and helping to minimize the liability of the eWaste problem. More and more corporations are also looking to work with small group of eWaste companies globally that provide the advanced technological and logistics capabilities to manage this after life process. Maxus is helping these kind of progressive customers to develop intelligent eCyclng and eWaste solutions. Patrick Mulvey 5/24/2005Lawmakers tackle national e-waste problem
The obvious answer: Yes, if they don’t want to have to deal with 50 separate and vastly different ewaste bills, which is exactly what is happening at the state level today. Combined with the 10 different standards being imposed in Europe under the WEEE regulations, that would be 60 different regulatory environments for the US and EU alone. A national standard potentially reduces the US to a manageable set of one, which would then force the EU to adopt a simpler set of regulations. 5/16/2005Aftermarket sales perspective
Regards, 5/12/2005from eWaste to eCycling
The asset manager or COO of a Fortune 500 company is faced with the daunting task of maintaining compliance with a myriad of eWaste laws throughout the U.S., not to mention the WEEE and RoHS legislation taking place in Europe. Many savvy companies are able to re-capture value from their outdated IT equipment, excess inventory or discontinued product lines by working through an eWaste recycler. Typically the asset manager, IT manager, COO will call up a local eScrapper who would come by with a truck, pick up the equipment and it would all disappear. He would then receive a small check a few weeks later, and all was right with the world. However, he is now faced with compliance issues that reach into finance and EH&S. The pressure is on to maximize ROI while maintaining environmental compliance. I sympathize with those responsible for asset disposition these days. The eWaste industry is fragmented with over 400 recyclers in the U.S. alone. How does one manage compliance throughout the organization while dealing with multiple regional eWaste recycling vendors? How can you guarantee that your assets are recycled and handled securely? These are the questions that we have heard from clients and colleagues alike, and we feel that no one else has satisfactorily answered them. We saw this as an opportunity to develop a solution that provides security, ROI, environmental compliance: an intelligent solution that will revolutionize our entire industry. We wanted to break through the complacency that seems to have a grip on our market and rise above the din. We wanted to create a solution that meets the needs of every major contract manufacturer and OEM globally. The Maxus team got to work and when the dust cleared we found ourselves with a family of products that are so revolutionary that they’re changing the way Maxus does business. Our MaxusOne solution offers eCycling solutions that exceed current best practices and I am very excited about our newest offering, the Maxus eAudit. Imagine a data driven system that tracks your end-of-life equipment or products from the moment of pick up all the way to its final point in the eCycling process. And you will be able to view full online reports in real-time. The eAudit is such a great tool; tracking is the tip of the iceberg. With eAudit you will have complete environmental audit reports that record part numbers, how and where products are processed, a record of final disposition of material streams and certificates of recycling and destruction. Data erasure is also tracked in real-time. The eAudit is completely transparent because you need this information and you have every right to see the entire process. Prepare yourself for regulatory compliance at your fingertips; with Maxus eAudit we’re redefining best practices for eCycling. I am very excited about the new developments here at Maxus. We’ve always been a leader in environmentally sound eCycling and by keeping that at our core the new Maxus brand is a refreshing departure from the old way of eWaste recycling. The new Maxus is data driven, sophisticated, globally capable and entirely focused on making your job a whole lot easier. I’ll go into more detail about the re-vamped Maxus brand later this week. Stay tuned. Don Baker 5/10/2005Maxus Launches eCycling Blog I was talking to some other executives at the recent Waste Expo in Las Vegas last week. This gathering focuses primarily on the solid waste side of the business. Everyone was very excited and interested in the eWaste problem and asking me how Maxus Technology is approaching the opportunity. The first thing we are doing is publishing this Patrick Mulvey |
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The recent announcement by Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric, that his Company pledges to double revenue from $10 billion to $20 billion by 2010 on an 
Maine is poised to be the next state to enact major e-waste legislation. Manufacurers could be charged up to 48 cents per pound for e-waste that is traced back to their plants. The bill could become law by March of 2006.
In the first half of 2005, 50 e-waste bills were introduced by 30 state and local legislatures. A national e-waste bill is now all but certain. And this makes it even more important for companies to develop national and global solutions that overcome the piecemeal approach that many in the industry are taking. Think global, recycle local.
A US national e-waste recycling bill looks even more likely now that the Consumer Electronics Association is lobbying for a national bill. It will be interesting to see how California’s stringent approach to recycling is affected.
The enormous problem posed by e-waste is illustrated once again as eight European countries face court action for failing to implement WEEE directives.
Here’s a roundup of some global developments in the world of computer recycling:
Dell is making headway with the introduction of a line of reduced lead computers, beating the deadline for WEEE compliance. The Optiplex model eliminates lead from the chassis, motherboard and power supply. Too bad Steven ‘the Dell guy’ isn’t around anymore to say "Dude, you should have bought a lead-reduced Dell."
There is no doubt that the computer recycling industry needs to simplify the delivery of 
For the past year or so we have been hearing about baseball players using steroids. The big surprise in this controversy is the use of steroids by players a decade or longer in the past (just listen to recaps of the recent congressional hearings). Fans and Baseball officials are now going back and looking at trends in hitting and pitching and pinpointing when the abuses began to affect statistics. There is even the possibility of records in question will have asterisks attached or current abusing players being asked to rebate part of their salaries based upon pumped up statistics at the time of signing a free agent contract.
Ewaste legislation is heating up on the east coast, as New York City council speaker (and mayoral candidate) Gifford Miller will introduce a citywide bill requiring manufacturers to establish
One major change in the eWaste industry is the gradual shift of decision making on disposition procedures from operating management to legal and environmental departments. In our discussions with major manufacturers and OEMs, the impact of WEEE, RoHS, various state/province regulations and 
Some interesting developments in Washington DC today, as four lawmakers from the US House of Representatives have formed the 
The current resale market continues to be strong for both Test Equipment and I.T. products. We are are also processing (doing testing as well as data eradication) hard drives for resale, and pricing continues to be stable. Monitors are always in demand and selling on an ongoing basis as soon as they arrive in our facility. We just sold a full trailer load of material for precious metals recovery. Due to the continued growth of overseas manufacturing, all precious metals are rising in price with increased demand for gold and copper. I will be returning to the Philippines May 25 to June 5. It will be a good opportunity to evaluate any potential business opportunities in that area. The Philippines offers us a possibile location for materials processing due to its free trade port and lower labor costs.
It took 20 years, but the eWaste issue is finally receiving the attention it deserves. Over the past three years I’ve seen eWaste transform from a little known term that only made sense to certain circles inside the government and recycling industry to an environmental hot button. Suddenly, legislation is starting to hold corporations responsible for the disposal of equipment that they used to toss into the dumpster. Newly enacted legislation in California is setting up the rest of the country for a windfall of electronic waste compliance laws over the next decade.