Posts Tagged ‘recycling’
E-Waste: The Dirty Secret of Recycling Electronics
July 25th, 2009 | 
Author: 
In Depth October 15, 2008, 7:39PM EST text size: TT
Lax rules and weak enforcement allow scrap companies to profit by sending junked computers, printers, and TVs overseas
Business is booming at Supreme Asset Management & Recovery, one of the nation’s largest recyclers of electronic waste. Inside a cavernous warehouse in the industrial section of Lakewood, N.J., workers in T-shirts grapple with newly arrived truckloads of old computer monitors, keyboards, printers, and TVs: tons of e-waste that contains dangerous lead, mercury, and cadmium. Such major manufacturers as Panasonic and JVC and municipalities like Baltimore County, Md., and Westchester County, N.Y., have paid Supreme to dispose of their digital detritus, relying on the company’s assurances that the work is done safely.
But as the e-waste industry proliferates—some 1,200 mostly tiny companies generated revenue of more than $3 billion last year—it has also become enmeshed in questionable practices that undercut its environmentally friendly image. Next year the volume of e-waste will probably surge. In February, U.S. consumers must switch from analog to digital television service, a move that is expected to result in the mass junking of analog TVs.
“No Accountability”
Seven former Supreme employees told BusinessWeek in interviews that they knew about the company selling large monitor shipments overseas. Despite the sales offerings on the Internet and the accounts of its former employees, Supreme says flatly that it “is not an exporter” of e-waste. The phrasing of its statement leaves open the possibility that others export the materials. But Supreme adds that to its knowledge, all of its buyers behave lawfully.
(page 2 of 2)
Varkonyi, 63, describes himself as a middleman for recyclers who, he says, want to tell their corporate and municipal clients that they don’t export PCs or other potentially hazardous gear: “I buy stuff from other recyclers who then claim that they do not export anything.” Varkonyi won’t name his customers.
Business is booming at Supreme Asset Management & Recovery, one of the nation’s largest recyclers of electronic waste. Inside a cavernous warehouse in the industrial section of Lakewood, N.J., workers in T-shirts grapple with newly arrived truckloads of old computer monitors, keyboards, printers, and TVs: tons of e-waste that contains dangerous lead, mercury, and cadmium. Such major manufacturers as Panasonic and JVC and municipalities like Baltimore County, Md., and Westchester County, N.Y., have paid Supreme to dispose of their digital detritus, relying on the company’s assurances that the work is done safely.
But as the e-waste industry proliferates—some 1,200 mostly tiny companies generated revenue of more than $3 billion last year—it has also become enmeshed in questionable practices that undercut its environmentally friendly image. Next year the volume of e-waste will probably surge. In February, U.S. consumers must switch from analog to digital television service, a move that is expected to result in the mass junking of analog TVs.
For the full article, follow the link below.
Link:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_43/b4105000160974.htm
GEEP wins National Master Standing Offer
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Of interest to journalists and editors covering: Computer Recycling, Data Security & Software.
GEEP wins National Master Standing Offer with Government of Canada
DALLAS, January 5th, 2009 – Public Works and Government Services Canada recently awarded GEEP Texas LLC and GEEP Ecosys Inc., subsidiaries of GEEP International, a three year National Master Standing Offer (# E60QE-08BIO4/003/QE) for the companies’ proprietary data sanitizing software, EBAN (Enterprise Boot and Nuke). The contract will allow Canadian government agencies and departments to quickly and easily access the software to sanitize multiple electronic data storage devices simultaneously.
“The core of EBAN has been used by government entities around the world for many years,” said Rick Lewis, Managing Director, GEEP Texas LLC. “This NMSO solidifies the importance of having a license supported enterprise disk clearing utility, such as EBAN.” EBAN meets the criteria listed in Canada’s Hard-Drive Overwrite Software Solution, which includes a triple-pass erase of the following data storage devices: Advance Technology Attachment; Integrated Drive Electronics; Serial Advanced Technology Attachment hard disk drives, floppy disks and miniature electronic storage devices, including USB memory and flash memory devices. Developed by Darik Horn, the creator of the highly popular and effective DBAN data destruction software, EBAN can destroy data on hundreds of hard drives concurrently by sending the destructive kernel from the data destruction appliance through each computer’s LAN connection.
EBAN then produces detailed reporting including the devices’ make, model and serial number and date of sanitization.
“EBAN data erasure software will provide the Government of Canada with peace of mind,” said Bruce Hartley, Vice President, Business Development, GEEP Ecosys Inc.
About EBAN
EBAN is a Department of Defense compliant mass hard drive overwriting utility designed for government entities, educational institutions and corporations with large-scale electronic data destruction needs. Using the LAN port of the target computers, EBAN can simultaneously overwrite hard drives, automatically confirm the sanitization against the hard drive serial number, and then tie the sanitization confirmation to a complete hardware manifest pulled from the target computer’s bios. This creates a complete record of data destruction to help client companies with legal compliance issues such as GLBA, SOX and HIPAA.
About GEEP (Global Electric Electronic Processing)
GEEP (www.geepglobal.com) is a nationally recognized provider of end-of-life (EOL) IT services for OEMs, corporations, government entities, universities, and channel partners. GEEP provides a full range of EOL services that include reverse logistics, computer remarketing, computer recycling, and electronic data destruction solutions. GEEP’s electronics recycling processes are state of the art and take place in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified facilities. For additional information, contact Cassie King toll free 888-832-4929 ext. 203.
Cassie King, Account Executive
GEEP Texas, LLC
P 888-832-4929 ext. 203
Michigan Waste Reduction Efforts
Recycling is a major component of Michigan waste reduction efforts. It is often the first step businesses take toward a more efficient and cleaner operation. It is also a popular, positive way individuals can protect their environment and reduce the impact of climate change.
A few of the many environmental and economic benefits of recycling are:
- Minimizing the need to harvest and mine virgin materials thus preventing habitat and natural area destruction and disruption.
- Creating more jobs than managing waste does, resulting in stronger local economies.
- Diverting waste from landfills, extending their useful lives.
Link: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/1,1607,7-135-3585_4130—,00.html
GEEP International and Techway Services Announce Joint Venture
Published: September 17,2007
DALLAS, Texas – Sept. 17 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Techway Services, Inc. (www.techwayservices.com), Techway Service, Inc. of Dallas, Texas and GEEP International of Nevada (www.geepinc.com) have formed a joint venture company called GEEP Texas. The joint venture is part of GEEP International’s plan to create the largest electronics recycling and End-of-Life (EOL) IT services companies in North America.
The joint venture involves technology and asset transfers between the two companies. GEEP International will design, finance and install advanced eScrap processing equipment at the new GEEP Texas headquarters facility in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. This capital investment is valued at over $4,000,000 (USD). In return, Techway Services will share its industry leading data destruction processes and technologies. At the operations level, Techway Services will continue as a stand alone company offering complete IT asset disposal services while processing all eScrap worldwide through GEEP’s ISO certified facilities.
The GEEP Dallas/Ft. Worth plant will be the first of several new GEEP facilities slated to open across North America by the spring of 2008. These new geographically dispersed computer recycling centers, in addition to GEEP’s current North Carolina and Ontario facilities, will greatly reduce logistics costs for current and future clients such as OEM manufacturers, municipalities and Fortune 1000 companies.
About Techway Services
Techway Services, Inc. a nationally recognized provider of end-of-life (EOL) IT services for corporations, government entities, universities, and channel partners. Techway Services provides a full range of EOL services that include reverse logistics, computer remarketing, computer recycling, and electronic data destruction solutions. Techway Services is a certified Woman owned business and is also HUB certified in the state of Texas.
About GEEP
Global Electric Electronic Processing Inc. is the industry leader for eScrap recycling in North America, with state-of-the-art recycling facilities and advanced processing equipment. GEEP facilities are ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 registered and GEEP is committed to achieving a zero landfill objective. GEEP’s clients include telecommunication service providers, manufacturers and electric utility companies in both Canada and the United States.
Posted in Computer Recycling | 
Tags: data destruction, electronics, End of Life, GEEP, recycling | 
1 Comment »
Don’t recycle ‘e-waste’ with haste, activists warn
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Special for USA TODAY
Consumers saddled with old cellphones, TVs and computers are flocking to electronics recycling events, which have sprung up in more than 1,000 communities over the past four years.
But don’t be fooled, activists warn. Items collected at free events are sometimes destined for salvage yards in developing nations, where toxins spill into the water, the air and the lungs of laborers paid a few dollars per day to extract materials.
“If nobody is paying (the collectors) to take this stuff, especially if they’re getting a lot of televisions, then they are very likely exporting because that’s how they make the economics work,” says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.
“E-waste,” or electronics trash, is piling up faster than ever, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Americans discarded 47 million computers in 2005, up from 20 million in 1998. Factor in other forms of electronics, and the nation now dumps between 300 million and 400 million electronic items per year, according to estimates from the EPA and the TakeBack Coalition.
To Read the FULL article, please click on the following,
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2008-07-06-ewaste-recycling_N.htm
