Attendees chat during the E-Scrap Conference in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Big Wave Production / Resource Recycling
Around 950 attendees came to Orlando, Florida, to take in exhibitor booths, sessions on the latest industry trends and laws, and workshops on certification standards at the 2024 E-Scrap Conference – but also to mourn the sudden loss of e-scrap veteran Billy Johnson just before the show. Continue Reading
Apple’s iOS 18 update will expand its “Activation Lock” to include individual high-value parts, including batteries and displays. | Attila Fodemesi/Shutterstock
Apple’s latest operating system update will expand a feature unpopular with reuse and repair advocates to not just cover the phone as a whole but also individual parts. Continue Reading
SERI recently opened up its new certification process for photovoltaic panels. | Heinz Trebuth/Shutterstock
Solar panel recyclers can now achieve a specific SERI certification, under the newly added Appendix G for photovoltaic modules. Continue Reading
The average age of iPhones at trade-in in the second quarter of 2024 was 3.8 years, while the average age of Android devices was 3.5 years.| ErickPHOTOPRO/Shutterstock
Consumers continue to hold onto devices longer before trading them in, according to second-quarter data from a trade-in company. Continue Reading
A group of e-scrap companies and organizations recommended the FCC create a system in which donated phones can be checked for theft, and then unlocked to enable reuse. | Wk1003mike/Shutterstock
In response to a Federal Communications Commission request for comment on its new phone carrier unlocking rule, e-scrap industry members urged the agency to address a different kind of software locks that prevent reuse. Continue Reading
So far, Discover has sent about 300 decommissioned laptops to nonprofit PCs for People, because the organization is willing to take them without hard drives and operating systems. | ThamKC/Shutterstock
For years, Discover Financial Services didn’t donate its used laptops for reuse due to its data security policies. But a partnership with PCs for People has provided a workaround. Continue Reading
Cascade’s sales volumes increased while revenues fell due to lower resale pricing in the year. | Andras Csontos/Shutterstock
Retail sales of IT assets refurbished by Cascade Asset Management grew in volume in 2023 while revenue declined, according to the company’s annual report. Continue Reading
S3107 would ban parts pairing and currently has no device exemptions carved out. | Rabanser/Shutterstock
Lawmakers in Rhode Island are considering a broad electronics right-to-repair bill that would ban parts pairing and currently does not include any exemptions. Continue Reading
About two years ago, iFixit and Samsung announced they were partnering on a Repair Hub, but iFixit ended the partnership in May 2024. | sasirin pamai/Shutterstock
After two years of trying – and some public pushing – iFixit ended its partnership with Samsung, citing the OEM’s lack of commitment.
CTIA’s voluntary wireless industry device grading standard was established in 2019 and is now aligned with SERI’s standard. | Valeri Luzina/Shutterstock
Repair shops that handle wireless devices will have a more straightforward time classifying devices after the wireless industry association aligned its grading standard with SERI’s standard. Continue Reading