Advocates for electronics repair last month delivered a petition asking the Federal Trade Commission to craft rules to prohibit manufacturers from restricting repair of their products.

After nine years at Resource Recycling, publisher of E-Scrap News, I have decided to leave to seize life's next adventure. 

Aurubis will invest $359 million at a smelter, gold maintains its recent high prices and researchers say recycled copper from e-scrap doesn't necessarily generate fewer greenhouse gasses than virgin mined metal. 

The following are facilities that have achieved, renewed or otherwise regained R2 certification recently: APCD of Albert Park, Australia; Bluesky Solutions of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Foxway Circular UK of Essex, United Kingdom; Jazzlon Electronics of Kowloon, China; and Metech Recycling of Singapore.

Acer announced several recycling- and repair-related features of its Vero Laptop Line, including its use of standard screws to improve ease of repair.  Colt Recycling, Done with IT and Walmart

[caption id="attachment_23569" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A story about e-Stewards' approach to e-plastics exports drew readers' clicks last month. | Courtesy of Basel Action Network (BAN)[/caption] A couple of high-profile acquisitions - Iron Mountain's purchase of Regency Technologies and Closed Loop Partners' acquisition of Sage Susta

Exporting end-of-life devices from California has long been a heavily regulated process. This year, lawmakers added another requirement that exporters first prove in-state recycling options were unavailable.

Responding to concerns about scrapping otherwise usable devices, Microsoft announced it will extend security updates for Windows 10 – for a price. 

A global investment firm has purchased data-wiping company Blancco Technology Group for about $221 million. 

Three e-scrap companies will pay a combined $2.2 million to help fund the cleanup of millions of pounds of CRT materials abandoned by Closed Loop Refining and Recovery in Phoenix.