Dive Brief:
- The Basel Action Network (BAN) announced a B2B trading platform that helps connect companies to certified e-waste recyclers.
- The platform serves to help the firms recover value for obsolete technology.
- e-Stewards Marketplace allows businesses to register equipment and devices they want to discard. Registered buyers are approved through e-Stewards operations.
Dive Insight:
Michael Rubel, the CEO of Retrace, a firm that partnered with BAN to produce the site, said, “Businesses disposing of end-of-life electronics will finally have price transparency, access to standardized processes and centralized reporting tools, which will greatly increase the efficiency and profitability of their recycling processes.” Rubel said this new platform will provide a new stream of supply and low-cost sales for recyclers.
Earlier this month, e-Stewards released an impact calculator, the Global Environmental Impact Calculator, an app that aids recyclers in the network manage and track e-waste.
In 2013, the U.S. consumer electronics industry amassed 620 million pounds of e-waste, double the volume collected in 2012.