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For Immediate Release April 8, 2011

Study Includes Key Data and Demographics; Estimated 30,000
Employed in Burgeoning US Industry

Los Angeles — The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc., (ISRI) yesterday unveiled preliminary findings of a new survey of the US electronics recycling industry during the DC-based trade association’s 2011 Convention and Expo in Los Angeles. The initial report concludes that the United States is well-equipped and has the infrastructure to collect, manually repair and refurbish and mechanically process the exponentially increasing volume of used and end-of-life electronics equipment generated in the United States.

Additionally, the $5 billion-a-year industry and US market continue to be driven by commercially generated electronics scrap and US companies are embracing third-party certifications such as ISO 14001and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s- (EPA) sponsored “R2” (Responsible Recycling) program to distinguish their companies and improve their bottom lines. ReMA worked with EPA, state governments, associations and other stakeholders to develop the R2 program.

Importantly, the electronics recycling industry in the United States employs approximately 30,000 workers. Although most of the companies in the electronics recycling industry are relatively small (i.e., fewer than 50 employees), most of the industry volume is processed by a relatively small number of larger companies.

In contrast to a widely held belief that rapidly changing residential and household consumer electronics are the source of most of the material for electronics recycling, the survey found that:

·        Computer equipment represents the largest part of the equipment handled by the industry (~ 60% by weight).

·        Most of the industry volume (by weight) comes from business/commercial sources.

·        The largest output of the industry is commodity grade scrap (representing ~ 60% of the volume by weight).

“The initial findings of this survey are very positive and reflect an industry that is growing rapidly, boosting our economy, creating jobs and playing a critical role in protecting our environment and supplying important commodities,” ReMA President Robin Wiener said. “The report also makes very clear that businesses, government and other groups are the dominant force driving the US electronics recycling market.”

Additionally, industry volume of processed electronics equipment has more than doubled in the past five years and currently is estimated to be approximately three million to four million tons, significantly up from reports in 2000.

The 2011 Electronics Recycling Industry Survey is an industry-wide effort to assess the rapidly expanding electronics recycling industry and is supported through a grant from the Recycling Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting scrap recycling. 

The survey was conducted by IDC, an independent, global market research provider with nearly 50 years of experience in information technology and consumer technology markets. Additional information about IDC can be found by visiting, www.idc.com.

The 174 survey respondents include for-profit and not-for-profit electronics reuse, refurbishers and recyclers, traditional scrap recyclers that handle electronics and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) with electronics take-back programs.

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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc., (ISRI) is the “Voice of the Recycling Industry.”  ReMA represents approximately 1,500 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, ReMA provides education, advocacy and compliance training and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the US economy, global trade and environment.