TERRA is Tackling the Plague of E-waste

Nashville group aims to recover valuable materials from electronics waste while ensuring it is dealt with in an environmentally responsible manner.

We all love our electronic gadgets –– cell phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, video games, anything with a circuit board. Just one problem: Much of this stuff contains both valuable and hazardous materials. So where does it all go once it dies or becomes obsolete?

Humans generate more than 50 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) every year worldwide. Experts predict that number will soar to 120 million tons by 2050. E-waste comprises only 2 percent of America’s trash but accounts for 70 percent of the toxic waste entering landfills. That’s because a lot of e-waste contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, nickel and cadmium. Some integrated circuit boards also include arsenic. (See an unsettling Top 10 list of e-waste facts here.)

You can also read: Closed-loop Laptop Project Promotes Circularity.

TERRA, The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance, is trying to do something about it. Founded in April 2019, the Nashville, Tenn.-based group preaches personal responsibility first. For starters, people must be educated to not just toss these discarded items in the trash. Additionally, the group notes, consumers and businesses need access to a sustainable, secure recycling provider that is equipped to handle such materials.

A Mail-in Program for Recycling E-waste Responsibly

TERRA calls one of its programs “Done With It,”  a mail-in electronics recycling program. For laptops and tablets, consumers need only request a mailing label. For other sustainable e-waste recycling needs, one can purchase a mailingfor packages weighing between 10 and 150 pounds. (See their list of acceptable items here.)

A member of TERRA’s certified network will guarantee that all personal data stored on the old devices will be destroyed. They then will either refurbish them for reuse or recycle them and return the valuable materials to the circular economy.

TERRA founder and CEO Steven Napoli explained the process in this short interview recently on a Chattanooga, Tenn., television station.

E-waste Can Yield Precious Metals and High-value Plastics

A circular, sustainable economy demands the recycling of high-value materials such as gold, silver, copper, palladium as well as high-end engineering resins –– many of which are found in electronic devices. The WEEE Forum estimates that nearly $10 billion in essential raw materials are recoverable from e-waste.

Even more importantly, notes TERRA, for the sake of human health for generations to come, the hazardous materials found in e-waste must be safely recovered and processed.

New Program Serves Workers on the Autism Spectrum

TERRA President and CEO Steven Napoli said in a recent phone interview that his group just completed a beta project with Federal Express and Washington, D.C.-based Pyxera Global Inc. That effort explored inviting people to send their retired laptops and tablets to a company in Gallatin, Tenn., called Electronics Recycling Solutions (ERS). ERS employs individuals on the autism spectrum to assist with the safe disassembly and refurbishment of these used devices. The group then can sell those refurbished devices online to raise money to allow them to hire more workers.

TERRA maintains that the only way to guarantee the sustainable reuse and recycling of these materials is to divert this discarded equipment to e-waste recyclers that meet the highest standards. To that end, TERRA has worked to create the largest network of certified e-waste recycling and Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) solution providers in North America.

Two E-waste Certifying Bodies, Two Approaches

Member companies must either have been approved by e-Stewards, a group administered by the Basel Action Network (BAN), and/or adhere to the certified R2 Standards managed by Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI). SERI established itself as a 501c3 nonprofit in 2014 to succeed the original R2 Solutions. Its mission now extends beyond the R2 Standard. The two groups have not always seen eye-to-eye in how to address these challenges. But in a positive development, their respective leaders recently published a joint letter in E-Scrap News calling for all parties to adhere to the compliance guidelines laid down in the Basel convention.

“Our certified members adhere to rigorous standards and receive ongoing compliance audits from their certification bodies to verify their sustainable processes,” notes TERRA. “Our alliance is committed to maximizing the sustainable reuse and recycling of electronics as well as protecting the environment, human health, and the conservation of natural resources by encouraging the extensive utilization of e-Stewards and/or R2 Certified solutions providers.”

TERRA Expands its Network into India

TERRA currently has more than 112 locations, mostly in North America, though they are active in 10 countries. Just days ago, the group announced it has now expanded into India. Its newest member is Eco Recycling Ltd. (Ecoreco), which is operating an R2v3 Certified Facility in Vasai, in the Palghar district near Mumbai. Ecoreco also services organizations across the region with certified e-waste management solutions.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: “The Global E-waste Monitor 2020” is the United Nations’ latest report on the topic. It looks at the quantities, flows and circular economy potential of the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector.

See also this story about how Dell is working with Covestro to close the loop on laptop recycling.