Electronics Recycling in NC

Electronics Recycling in NC

Facts, Figures, Pictures and

Misunderstandings

Joe Clayton MRP Company, Inc.

919-619-4856 [email protected]

Joe Clayton MRP 919-‐619-‐4856 1 Thursday, April 2, 15

Presentation Outline

• Where Focus Materials (FMs) reside (potentially hazardous substances or data) • Values and Costs of the materials at recycler (does not include

collection or transportation costs) • Certified Recyclers in NC (alphabetically) and their procedures (to best

of my ability) • Where the Creative CRT Glass went and their processes • Recommendations on being a Better Partner with your Recycler

Thursday, April 2, 15 Joe Clayton MRP 919-‐619-‐4856 2

The Material Stream

•  In NC and SC most collection of residential electronics is done by municipalities or their contractors at set locations (drop off facilities or one day events) under an EPR structure

•  Materials collected include TVs (NC has separate law for TVs and other electronics) •  Computers, Laptops, printers, and computer peripherals •  Some Municipal programs include household goods and appliances

• Most business recycling is contracted between Recyclers or Asset Recovery (ITAD) companies on a Business to Business (B2B) basis without EPR costs or credits as these have value in secondary markets


CRT TVs & Monitors

• CRT TVs and Monitors contain the following FMs

• Lead in CRT Funnel Glass and Frit Line • Lead in Circuit Board • Phosphor powders lining the inside of the tubes •  In NC the flame retardants in the HIPS plastic are considered

hazardous and it is illegal to landfill the plastics


CRT Parts is Parts


LCD TVs, Monitors & Laptops •  All LCDs have MERCURY in them to create the light •  Many LCD devices have batteries as well, either button or Li Ion •  All LCDs have circuit boards to move the power •  Many items now contain data that must be wiped


Laser Printers

Focus Materials •  Fluorescent tubes that contain mercury

•  Circuit boards •  Data (“Print last fax or file”)

From Samsung “Thank you for contacting Samsung. The light source in our printers have not changed, and they are still Fluorescent lights.”

Computers

• Contain Lithium button batteries to keep board level info active • Have circuit boards that could contain lead and/or cadmium • Have hard drives containing data • Older computers have > scrap value


CPU Breakdown w/ Values Commodi&es

Total Weight (lbs)

Weight per PC

Percentage of Weight

Price Per Pound

Total Per PC

Steel Cases 1681 16.81 61.04% $ 0.05 $ 0.84 Mixed Drives 191 1.91 6.94% $ 0.13 $ 0.25 CPU PlasJc 32 0.32 1.16% $ 0.12 $ 0.04 Ribbon Wire 34 0.34 1.23% $ 0.45 $ 0.15 Mid Grade Boards 214 2.14 7.77% $ 1.75 $ 3.75 Cooling Fans 53 0.53 1.92% $ 0.10 $ 0.05 Power Supplies 339 3.39 12.31% $ 0.25 $ 0.85 Alum Heat Sinks 78 0.78 2.83% $ 0.45 $ 0.35 Mixed Cu Heat Sinks 13 0.13 0.47% $ 0.85 $ 0.11 Misc Wire 48 0.48 1.74% $ 0.55 $ 0.26 Hard Drives 58 0.58 2.11% $ 0.85 $ 0.49 Processors 5 0.05 0.18% $ 5.50 $ 0.28 Memory 8 0.08 0.29% $ 12.00 $ 0.96

2754 27.54 100.00% Total $ 8.38

Value per pound $ 0.30

labor hours 7.15 labor cost (@ 15 / hr) 107.25 Labor per pound 0.06 $ (0.06) overhead $ (0.07) Value per pound $ 0.17


Printers & Peripheral Breakdown w/ Values (LCD teardown is similar in final pricing)

Commodi&es Total Weight (lbs)

Weight per

Printer


Price Per Pound

Total Per PC

Steel 0.45 0.45 45% $ 0.05 $ 0.02 PlasJc (shredded) 0.41 0.41 41% $ 0.03 $ 0.01 Printer Boards 0.03 0.03 3% $ 1.25 $ 0.04 Alum 0.05 0.05 5% $ 0.45 $ 0.02 Misc Wire 0.06 0.06 6% $ 0.55 $ 0.03

1.00 Total $ 0.13

cost Shredding $ (0.05) labor cost (@ 15 / hr) Labor per pound 0.02 $ (0.02) overhead $ (0.07) Value per pound $ (0.01)


Monitor Breakdown w/ Values


Weight per

monitor


Price Per Pound

Total Per Monitor

CRT Glass (includes trans) 1273.00 24.02 58.94% $ (0.20) $ (4.80) ABSS (black baled) 123.00 2.32 5.69% $ 0.15 $ 0.35 ABS (white baled) 268.00 5.06 12.41% $ 0.20 $ 1.01 Steel 51.00 0.96 2.36% $ 0.05 $ 0.05 Al (old sheet) 15.00 0.28 0.69% $ 0.45 $ 0.13 Module Boards 290.00 5.47 13.43% $ 0.23 $ 1.26 Misc Wire 29.00 0.55 1.34% $ 0.55 $ 0.30 Degaussing Wire 33.00 0.62 1.53% $ 1.25 $ 0.78 Cu Yokes 78.00 1.47 3.61% $ 0.60 $ 0.88

2160.00 Total $ (0.05)

value per pound $ (0.00)

labor hours 4.5 labor cost (@15 / hr) 67.5 Labor per pound $ 0.03 $ (0.03) overhead $ (0.07) Value per pound $ (0.10) value per piece $ (3.92)


CRT TV Breakdown w/ Values


Weight per TV

Percentage of

Weight

Price Per Pound

Total Per TV

Copper Yokes 70 1.4 1.80% $ 0.60 $ 0.84 Degaussing Wire 24 0.48 0.62% $ 1.25 $ 0.60 Misc Wire 18 0.36 0.46% $ 0.55 $ 0.20 Module Boards 271 5.42 6.97% $ 0.23 $ 1.25 HIPS 439 8.78 11.29% $ 0.15 $ 1.32 CRT Glass (includes trans) 3068 61.36 78.87% $ (0.20) $ (12.27)

Total $ (8.07) Value per pound $ (0.10)

labor hours 5 labor cost (@ 15 / hr) 75 Labor per pound 0.02 $ (0.02) overhead $ (0.05) Value per pound $ (0.17)


Where did all the MONEY $$$$ GO?

• Commodity prices are vastly lower than any time since 2008-2009 • Transportation costs have risen due to many factors • Advanced shredding and sortation equipment has become more

common driving up overhead • A multitude of small players has entered the market diluting the

market share of established companies • Many traditional scrap yards are now buying the valuable materials

from the public, increasing costs on the public sector by fewer CPUs • EPR increased tonnage of negative value materials without adequate

compensation to recycler for true cost


CRS

I Told

U So


The Stockpiles of CRT Glass

In NC the CRT glass is being transported to GES in KY In SC the CRT glass home is being negotiated by building owner

In both cases currently the burden of paying for the proper recycling is being FORCED onto the landlords who rented buildings to CRS Is this a GOOD way to run recycling programs? On a side note GES refused to supply any info on its processes or what it intends to do with the glass even though they were informed this presentation was going to CRA Thursday, April 2, 15 Joe Clayton MRP 919-‐619-‐4856 15

Certified R2 and eSteward facilities in SC and NC


Who has CRT Technology that is in SC or NC

• ERI has both R2 and eStewards at their Badin, NC location where they disassemble CRTs and send glass to Plainfield, IN or Holliston, MA for processing into commodity grade materials • Metech in Creedmore, NC has eStewards and say they disassemble in

NC and send to MA for processing • Other companies do one of a few things

•  Break down to CRT tube level and send tube for recycling •  Send whole units to other companies with or without technology •  Store whole units or tubes to delay costs of proper handling


The newest CRT expose

• Company X with facilities in GA and FL was paying for Monitors in SC and NC • Should be a BIG red flag when offered $$$$ for negative value items • Company X was caught sending to Company Y who stood on them

hand beat glass out with sledge hammer and landfilled glass in C&D landfill at night • Company X is being asked to give upstream customer lists so ALL

companies who used their services will be in violation of either standard and will be re-audited by certifying bodies


Suggestions for EPR Programs at State Level

•  If states want to use EPR to further recycling, should pay the ACTUAL recycler for recycling only AFTER the material is recycled • This is similar to SB 20 in CA where recyclers are only paid once unit

is cancelled and recycled • Can create a two or three tiered program where payments go to entities

who actually did work •  Municipalities could get collection money •  Collectors could get collection / processing money •  Pay the recyclers the costs of actually recycling

• Then track the stream to make sure no cheating and DO not allow selling of paper tonnage


Making Municipal Programs Attractive to Recyclers

• At Municipal collection site, actually put like materials with like materials, i.e., stack computers together, stack monitors together, stack TVs together • Do not allow cherry picking of valuable materials by anyone •  Bundle the ENTIRE county’s material INCLUDING the county office

buildings and any schools, as cherry picking might look like it is generating income but it is actually causing a larger increase in cost of recycling due to making the remaining so UNATTRACTIVE to processors or recyclers •  If generate enough, place 2 trailers and send CRT devices directly to

end market, why pay Company Z to pick up and move to their locations where they have to restack and send to ACTUAL recycler


The Bottom Line •  There are legitimate outlets for CRT glass available but easy and cheap

outlets never truly existed •  Doe Run has VERY limited capacity •  NuLife is not running yet •  Closed Loop has not begun to build a furnace in either location •  Comm2 just announced they could not create a product from CRT funnel glass •  ERI processes glass and has markets •  Xstrata / Glencore has capacity and sources through Novotec •  Dlubac is a TRUE alternative who makes real products that replace added lead with

leaded CRT glass and sources through Regency Technologies •  Kuusakoski is now landfilling in mono cells but most states do not count toward

recycling goals for EPR •  Tech in Trail, BC takes funnel glass through KC Recycling but has limited capacity •  Eventually, even VideoCon in India will stop making new CRTs


I’m Joe Clayton

• And we’ll leave the lights on for ya


Documents

Electronics Recycling in NC