SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): In 2014, a friend of Mark Li’s had a batch of electronic devices to dispose of but couldn’t find a recycling company to handle them. In the end, they had no choice but to send the devices to landfill.
The result didn’t sit well. The plastics, metal, mercury, and toxic substances contained in e-waste are an environmental hazard when disposed incorrectly.
Mark says he knew there was a better answer. He began researching collection, transportation, sorting, and disposal of electronic waste and in 2016 established Green Technology Recycling in New South Wales.
His goal – to provide customised e-waste recycling solutions for everybody.
“In New South Wales there has always been a demand to dispose of electronic waste, but it was a one-size-fits all approach,” Mark says.
“GTR can provide customised solutions, whether it’s for councils, big corporations, small businesses or even individuals. It’s what make us different to other e-waste companies.”
GTR focuses on dismantling electronic waste items and distributing the various components for processing and recycling.
One of the challenges early on was how to identify the recycling value of materials and build a solution chain for all kinds of e-waste.
Mark has since built a relationship with a global partner, a refinery in Japan, and GTR is one of only a few Australian companies to have a permit from Japan’s Minister and Basel Convention to transfer dismantled e-waste components for further processing.
The refinery accurately identifies the maximum recovery value of any e-waste Mark sends. This value is then stored in a database and is used to compare the past, present, and future recovery value for clients. The database is used for every one of GTR’s clients to accurately match their needs and is constantly updated.
“One of the big challenges of recycling is pricing,” Mark says. “A 10-year-old modem is different from today’s modem and will be different from a modem built two years from now. With an accurate e-waste recovery analysis stored in the database, we can provide customised solutions for every client.”
The GTR team is currently working on a hospital project with 15,000 units of medical equipment. Mark says that with a value analysis report expected soon, he’s confident GTR will be able to find the right home for the equipment at reasonable cost – a benefit for the hospital and the environment.
In the past eight years, GTR’s recycling technique has found a way to divert thousands of tons of discarded electronic devices from landfill.
Inflation, labour shortages and a shift in manufacturing has added a degree of difficulty.
“Not all electronic waste can be recycled and there is a growing trend where manufacturers are either using less recyclable materials, or very low quality recyclable materials, resulting in very low recovery value,” Mark says.
“Take a TV for example. TVs are getting bigger but when you open it up, the circuit board is smaller and thinner and has fewer precious metals. People question why a computer had a recovery value of $20 last year and this year has a value of $10. That’s why we consistently send e-waste for analysis. The database provides evidence of costs.”
Transparency, value analysis, database build-up and a national collection network are the core values at Green Technology Recycling. Mark is aware there are other e-waste recyclers but says he’s proud GTR can back up its claims of providing environmentally friendly recycling solutions.
“GTR is able to provide assurance to its customers that the e-waste components go to a country that is approved and recognised to further process it correctly,” he says.
“GTR achieves this through documentation transparency and building trust.”
Mark believes that accurate e-waste recycling presents an opportunity to create a circular economy. He’s dedicated to providing innovative service in this domain and aims to protect the environment through sustainable development as well as minimising disposal of e-waste into the landfill.
Courtesy: www.wastemanagementreview.com.au
