Scrap Metal Prices

The board of the nation’s largest trade association for recyclers today laid out a roadmap addressing the growing problem of the improper export of end-of-life electronic scrap.

In voting unanimously to approve a new, aggressive policy to protect health, the environment and worker safety, the Board of Directors of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) signaled that ISRI members are behind efforts to stem possible health and environmental hazards that occur when e-scrap is not exported responsibly.

“The ISRI Board voted today to adopt an aggressive, forward-looking policy that puts forth a safe, responsible and legal framework for electronics recycling both at home and abroad,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. “Among other provisions, the policy bans the export of electronic equipment and components for land-filling or incineration for disposal and requires that facilities outside the U.S. that recycle or refurbish electronics have a documented, verifiable environmental, health and worker safety system in place.”

The ISRI Board’s decision reinforces environmental, health and worker safety standards that closely track the EPA’s Responsible Recycling (R2) program, which can be accessed on the EPA’s Web site at:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/r2practices.htm

“ISRI has always been a staunch supporter of recycling electronics in compliance with domestic and international legal requirements,” Wiener said. “This is emphasized in the new policy, which requires that facilities outside the United States that recycle or refurbish electronics have a documented environmental, health and worker safety system that can be verified; requires a business record-keeping system to document compliance with all legal requirements; requires that any facility must be capable of handling hazardous waste; and ensures that US exporters can confirm a facility they export to is in compliance with the law.”

ISRI Director of Government and International Affairs Eric Harris noted that the newly adopted policy includes provisions that will address actual problems in recycling facilities throughout the world rather than requiring a total trade ban on the export of electronic scrap as the only viable way to deal with irresponsible recycling outside of the United States.

“The policy adopted today by the ISRI Board of Directors embodies the most environmentally sustainable and realistic approach to electronic scrap recycling,” Wiener added. “This is a responsible, safe and legal approach to electronics recycling that protects worker health and safety, as well as ensuring environmentally sustainable practices that can actually deal with this global issue.”

This is an excerpt from the complete press release which can be found at the ISRI website