Press
For Release March 23, 2010
E-Tech Recycling, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE
March 23, 2010
E-Tech Recycling Event Apr 24, 2010 and Paint The Crossroads Purple
E-Tech Recycling, Synopsys and The Crossroads at Orenco Station have joined forces. On Saturday, April 24, 2010 to save trees and save lives. An Earth Day recycling event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Synopsys Technology Park, 2025 NW Cornelius Pass Road, Hillsboro 97124. Electronics, bicycles or parts thereof, fluorescent lamps (limit 20), tires off the rims (fee of $2 each), plus used clothing and household goods will be accepted for recycling and reuse. In lieu of the usual disposal fees, except as noted above, patrons are encouraged to make on-site donations to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Hillsboro. Recycling sponsors are E-Tech Recycling and Synopsys, in conjunction with Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition, Environmental Protective Services, Tire Disposal & Recycling, Goodwill of the Columbia Willamette, [1THING] PDX, KUIK AM 1360 Westside Radio, Costco, and Relay For Life of Hillsboro.
While the recycling is underway, the neighboring shopping center will Paint The Crossroads Purple, as employees wear purple shirts and display purple decorations. Purple is the color used by Relay For Life (RFL) to represent cancer survivors and life. Businesses will support RFL by distributing information about the American Cancer Society and assisting with fundraising. The Crossroads at Orenco Station Shopping Center is located at the intersection of Cornelius Pass Road and Cornell Road in Hillsboro.
Details about both events are available at www.hillsbororelay.org or 503.522.0081.
For Release August 14, 2009
E-Tech Recycling, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE
August 14, 2009
Synopsis in Hillsboro Kicks Off First E-waste Day
August 14, 2009 –Synopsis in Hillsboro held its first E-waste Day on Friday, August 14th from 10am – 2pm. Jaci Spross, Executive Assistant at Synopsys, and volunteer team, in conjunction with Brent Young, Director of Business Development at E-Tech Recycling organized the event to expand e-waste recycling beyond efforts by the IT Team to include the larger Synopsis employee base in Hillsboro. Citing that community involvement is both a personal and company value, Jay Hiserote, Sr. R&D Manager, gave his reasons for volunteering, “As an engineering professional in the electronic industry I am aware of the both the toxic content and potential recyclable value in the electronics that Synopsys helps create. I believe that it’s important to act on this knowledge by encouraging and demonstrating the careful disposable of electronic waste. That said, I also have a pile of electronics in my garage that my wife says I must ‘clear out’.”
E-Tech Recycling, the local vendor used by Synopsys IT in Hillsboro since 2007, collected computer equipment, dry and wet cell batteries, cell phones and more. In case employees missed the E-waste Day, they were provided information on how to contact E-Tech Recycling at their Hillsboro facility and that they would be available for drop offs year round: 1600 NE 25th Ave, Suite C, Hillsboro. 503-693-8939. E-Tech is open between 8:30 & 4:30pm.
A responsible processor, E-Tech Recycling exceeds standards set by the Washington Materials Management & Financing Authority, the board created by the Washington state government to manage e-recycling across the state. All hard drives processed by the company are wiped clean to protect donators’ information. The company also gives back to their community through partner events on Earth Day and donations made to small, underserved schools in the area.
E-Tech has done this for many other organizations and businesses throughout Washington County. If you are interested in organizing an E-cycles day for your school, group, or business please contact Brent Young, Director of Business Development at E-Tech Recycling, Inc.
For Release February 17, 2009
E-Tech Recycling, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE
February 17, 2009
Oregon State’s Electronic Recycling program as per Oregon HB 2626 officially kicked off on January 1, 2009. According to E-Scrap News, Electronic Newsletter, Feb. 13, 2009; the program collected 1.5 million pounds of televisions, computers and monitors in the month of January. One Oregon recycling business has already closed and many more (not just because of a downturned economy) are on their way. Unlike other States electronic recycling laws, Oregon’s included no protections for Oregon’s businesses. Under the Bill to amend ORS 459.247 and 459.995, DEQ was directed to implement the changes to the law by developing:
• A State Contractor Plan
• Defining how a manufacturer or group of manufacturers could develop their own plan
• Defining who a Collector is and what a plan would need to do to develop a collection network
• Define who a Processor is and what a company would need to do to be considered a processor
Where did it all go wrong?
First the Bill didn’t go far enough. The landfill portions of the amended laws only cover what the Bill calls “covered electronic devices (CEDs)”:
(3)(a) ‘Covered electronic device’ means:
(A) A computer monitor of any type having a viewable area greater than four inches measured diagonally;
(B) A desktop computer or portable computer; or
(C) A television of any type having a viewable area greater than four inches measured diagonally.
- Definitions from HB2626
…additionally, the landfill ban on these CEDs doesn’t take effect until a year after the recycling program starts on January 1, 2010.
This leads us to ask: What about Printers, Copiers, Scanners, Fax Machines, Cell Phones, Keyboards, and Mice? Do none of these products contain printed circuit boards? Is the ABS plastics used in the manufacture of their housing not good enough to be recycled with those of the computers and monitors? Is the glass used in many of these products better-suited for the landfill?
The EPA in its Computer and Electronics Recycling FAQ’s states that one kind of material of concern in electronics is:
Printed circuit boards: Many electronic and electrical products have printed circuit boards, which can contain chromium, lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, nickel, and zinc; lead solder is used to hold components onto circuit boards.
Why are these products which do contain printed circuit boards, recyclable plastics and glass not part of the landfill ban?
Another problem with the Bill is the only way a company can participate in the program is if they are chosen by a Plan as a Collector, Processor, or Transporter. The Plans are then responsible to verify that the companies follow all local, state, and federal laws regarding the recycling of electronic materials. To include but not limited to auditing or at the companies expense having a 3rd party audit performed. It is then DEQ’s responsibility to approve and then audit these Plans for compliance.
So what if you are not chosen? Any of these companies that are not chosen are said to be, “operating outside the program,” as shown on the DEQ webpage for the E-Cycles program. The only avenue that these companies have to prove that they too follow all local, state, and federal laws regarding the recycling of electronic materials is to have a 3rd party audit of their business. So then what? They are an ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, or equivalent compliant such as R2, RIOS, or E-Stewards. Most of which the general public knows nothing about.
Does DEQ have plans at this time for some verification of companies that “operate outside the program”? Yes, it has been set as an agenda item that they may get to sometime this year.
For a company that “operates outside the program” that would like to have something more than done before the end of the year, since the company is in business now. They may choose to contact their State Senator, wait a month for a reply, and hear that the Senator’s office would need to investigate the matter further and in the mean time recommends the company contact the State Contractor (NCER). For argument sake, let’s say the company had already done this and were seeking higher assistance from their Senator and thus the escalation to one of the sponsors of the Bill;
Representatives DINGFELDER, BRUUN; Representatives BEYER, BONAMICI, BOONE, BUCKLEY, CANNON, CLEM, COWAN, C EDWARDS, GELSER, HOLVEY, HUNT, KOMP, MACPHERSON, MERKLEY, NOLAN, READ, RILEY, ROSENBAUM, SCHAUFLER, SHIELDS, P SMITH, TOMEI, WITT, Senators DEVLIN, MORSE, WALKER
- Sponsors list from HB2626
The following is what had already been communicated to the State Contractor (NCER) and/or Oregon DEQ, and what was being requested for the Senator’s office to assist with:
1. DEQ includes in its next RFP for State Contractor of the E-Cycles program that the winning bidder give some type of preference or additional points in the selection of an Oregon recycling company wishing to participate in the Oregon State Electronics Recycling program as a Processor.
2. DEQ includes in its next RFP for State Contractor of the E-Cycles program that any legitimate and legally operating electronic recycling company wishing to participate in the Oregon State Electronics Recycling program as a collector be allowed to do so.
3. DEQ takes responsibility for and as soon as possible initiate and complete some form of recognition for recycling companies that follow all local, state, and federal laws regarding the recycling of electronic materials or has a current 3rd party audit of their business that says they are an ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, or equivalent compliance such as R2, RIOS, or E-Stewards.
The Senator’s office indicated it would be difficult to amend the law and a very lengthy process. They had spoke to and did not see any further avenues to affect what the Oregon State Contractor for the E-Cycles program was doing for the current year. The Senator’s office said they would communicate with DEQ to find out if the inclusion of the requested items from above could be added into the next RFP and would see if they could help in pushing DEQ to initiate and complete some form of recognition for recycling companies “operating outside the program”.
As further evidence why the requested items are so important; today there was a fax sent out by a competing company claiming, “There are many E-cycle collectors and 2 or 3 processors in Oregon, but none of these firms process the electronics in this state. The closest processors that they could ship to are in Washington and Arizona State.” The fax goes on to say that they” are the only electronics processor in the State.”
Who are these 2 or 3 processors? How is it possible for this company to make such a claim to be the only electronics processor in the state? When we know for sure one of the processors is E-Tech Recycling, Inc. We know for sure that E-Tech PROCESSES the electronics right here in OREGON.
With such false claims being made by a company like this there needs to be more done to recognize all recycling companies that follow all local, state, and federal laws regarding the recycling of electronic materials or have a current 3rd party audit of their business that says they are an ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, or equivalent compliance such as R2, RIOS, or E-Stewards. There needs to be a place to point to in the E-Cycles program to demonstrate when companies make these false statements.
As many other companies have done we had to lay-off employees. With the loss of materials once being processed at our facility here in Oregon and now going to other processors it is difficult to know when we will be able to recover from the current market and provide more jobs to more Oregonians.
Alis volat propriis,
E-Tech Recycling, Inc.
For Release May 20, 2008
See our Director of Business Development, Brent Young with Dave Schmitke of Good Day Oregon, Home and Garden. As they discuss, “Reusing Old Computer Parts,” and answer the question; What happens to your old, obsolete computer equipment?
From Saturday May 10, 2008.on KPTV FOX 12.
See the video online at:
