newsworthy

>>ELECTRONICS >>SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Technology Conservation Group Achieves Certification in Three Countries

The electronics recycling company Technology Conservation Group Inc. (TCG), headquartered in Lecanto, Florida, U.S., reports that it has earned the industry designation Certified Electronics Recycler by being R2/RIOS certified. In addition, the company has been recertified to the ISO 14001:2004 standard at six of its processing facilities in the United States, Mexico and Europe. The company says it is the first recycler to have facilities outside of the United States certified to the R2/RIOS standard. TCGs certified facilities are in Lecanto; Louisville, Kentucky; and Portland, Oregon, in the U.S.; in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico; and in West Midlands, U.K. R2/RIOS is the combination of two accredited standards: Responsible Recycling Practices (R2), which was developed by a group of stakeholders and facilitated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Association, and the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS), which was developed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI). We are extremely proud and excited to be a Certified Electronics Recycler in three different countries, says Hamilton Rice, TCG president. TCG is a global company, so it only made sense for us to include our Mexico and United Kingdom facilities. Our goal is to provide our customers with the reassurance that we are processing their material in the most environmentally responsible manner possible, no exceptions. TCG is committed to all aspects of the R2/ RIOS and ISO standards and hold ourselves accountable for the integrity of our internal processes that support those standards. Robin Wiener, ISRI president, says, TCG has the very significant distinction of being the first U.S. company to ensure excellence in its facilities abroad through the latest and most rigorous environmental health and safety and quality standards. TCG is very clearly committed to the highest standards at home and around the world.

Umicore Upgrading, Expanding Precious Metals Recycling Plant

Umicore, Brussels, has announced plans to invest an estimated 25 million (US$40 million) to upgrade and expand the sampling facility at its main precious metals recycling plant in Hoboken, Belgium. According to Umicore, the investment will increase capacity and reduce throughput time at the facility. The company says the investment will support business growth and allow Umicore to react more rapidly to changes in the raw materials supply. Umicore says it expects the expansion project to be completely operationally by mid 2013. Engineering studies also have been initiated to address further expansion needs in sampling and may result in additional investments in the following years, according to the company. According to Umicore, sampling and assaying are the first steps in recycling prior to the treatment of the incoming material and the subsequent refining of the recovered metals. Determining the exact metal content of the supplied materials is essential, as it forms the contractual basis for metal value payment or physical metal return to the supplier. An efficient and transparent sampling and assaying process is essential. Koen Demesmaeker, Umicore senior vice president of the precious metals refining business unit, says, This investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to provide the best service to our customers and working environment to our employees. He continues, It will strengthen Umicores reputation as the world leader in the treatment of complex residues and end-of-life materials containing precious and specialty metals.

>>ASSOCIATION ACTIVITY

BIR Elects New President

The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Brussels, has elected Bjrn Grufman of the Swedish company M. V. Metallvrden AB as its new president. The election was held during the general assembly session of the BIR World Recycling Convention in Singapore, May 24. Grufman was approved by the BIRs general assembly for a two-year mandate, which can be extended once He replaces Dominique Maguin, who served as BIR president for four years. BIR has profiled itself as the sole truly international recycling federation, says Grufman. I am honored to be serving its over 800 member companies and national recycling federations in the coming years. Grufman is managing director and main owner of M. V. Metallvrden AB, a scrap trading and processing company. He joined BIR in 1989 and has held several senior positions with the group

Content is copyright protected and provided for personal use only - not for reproduction or retransmission. RECYCLING TODAY GLObAL EDITION // JULY-AUGUST 2011 23 For reprints please contact the Publisher.