E-Scrap 2016 Opening Panel Discussion Features Skurnac of Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS)
Steve Skurnac, industry expert and president of Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), a leading global provider of electronics recycling and IT asset disposition (ITAD) services, was a keynote speaker in the opening panel discussion at the E-Scrap 2016 conference in New Orleans. The discussion was held Wednesday Sept. 21, 2016 and covered topics related to the evolving enterprise and consumer IT material streams.
Skurnac participated on a panel that included Billy Johnson of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Adam Dunes of Cohen Electronics, and Craig Boswell of HOBI International. The panel was moderated by Jeff Sacre with CHWMEG.
Major takeaways from the panel focused on the challenges the industry will face with smaller format items, such as watches, and associated costs for the disposal of these items. "We’re in an odd situation timing-wise," said Skurnac. "We have lots of legacy material, and everyone is struggling with economic incentives on how to get it recycled so that private e-recycling companies can stay in business while processing this material. Then there’s miniaturization (e.g. wearable technology such as watches), where there’s not much interest there from a recycler’s perspective, but it’s going to end up in a manufacturer takeback program mixed in with general consumer e-waste and then sent to one of our shops. Ultimately, it’s a policy issue. It won’t just pay for itself."
Separately, Skurnac shared his thoughts on rigid export regulations and questioned the financing of such. "If you get to a situation where the U.S. is managing all e-waste domestically, you are going to need some very significant economic incentives," said Skurnac. "Then you get back to ‘who’s going to pay for it at the end of the day?’"
Finally the panel closed with a discussion of the growing importance of downstream due diligence as data security concerns continue to rise.
As the largest show for the electronics scrap industry, the 14th annual E-scrap 2016 Conference gathered industry professionals from across the globe to meet and discuss industry issues, topics and trends. Located at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, the conference was held last Tuesday through Thursday, September 20-22.
This year SRS, in collaboration with Resource Recycling, helped manage and staff the collection of pledge forms to raise funds for Together Baton Rouge, an organization created to provide flood relief and assistance to the Baton Rouge community.
To learn more about the global solutions SRS can provide, visit our website.
Media Contact: Stephanie Oden (916) 746-7326 stephanie.oden@simsmm.com
Sims Recycling Solutions
Sims Recycling Solutions (www.SimsRecycling.com) is the global leader in electronics reuse and recycling. We have over 20 years’ experience in comprehensive IT asset disposition and mobile device refurbishment services either directly or through acquired businesses. Sims provides disposition services for all types of retired electronic equipment to local, national and global customers in every business sector including data centers, healthcare, financial service and technical organizations.
As a part of Sims Metal Management Limited, the world’s leading publicly listed metal and electronics recycler, Sims Recycling Solutions has the global reach, expertise, and infrastructure necessary to ensure to our customers that all electronic devices are processed in a secure and environmentally responsible manner.
Sims international footprint of operations across 21 countries enables us to offer a global scope of services on a myriad of local fronts.
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