Flat-Screen Display Sales Cause Electronics Recycling Crisis

VISTA, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 23, 2011) - Electronics recycling programs are collecting more old cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs and computer monitors, while solutions for recycling CRT glass are disappearing fast. Without updated regulations and new recycling models, old CRT glass -- which contains lead and requires responsible recycling -- will become harder and potentially more costly to recycle.

Millions of CRTs are collected for recycling each year. Currently, CRT glass is separated into leaded and non-leaded glass and processed for recycling into other glass products. CRT used to be recycled into new CRT television and computer displays; however, because plasma and flat-screen displays are now the norm, the demand for CRT glass has collapsed worldwide.

"Currently, there are only one or two CRT manufacturers outside of China that accept CRT glass for reuse in manufacturing of CRTs. Both are located overseas; and these plants only process a limited amount of CRT glass each year, which makes depending on these facilities for consistent consumption nearly impossible," says Robert Erie, CEO of E-World Online. "Many state regulations require CRT glass to be recycled rather than disposed. The recycler's dilemma is that currently there are too few domestic end-markets for this material. Not to mention the downstream due diligence liabilities and lack of efficiency that comes with shipping millions of pounds of glass -- much of which contains lead -- across the globe."

E-World Online provides electronics recycling solutions for the country's leading consumer electronics manufacturers and oversees the safe collection and recycling of 40 million pounds of CRT glass annually. In light of the growing CRT glass recycling problem, E-World Online is working to find new, economical CRT recycling solutions. However, in order to take full advantage of today's new recycling processes and innovative clean technologies, outdated regulatory frameworks must be revisited and cost effective options allowed.

One of the largest companies that does process CRT glass in the U.S. is the Dlubak Glass Company in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Most of the CRT glass collected by E-World Online's network was being shipped to Dlubak facilities in both Yuma, Arizona and in Ohio; however, the recent closure of Dlubak's Yuma facility, combined with cost increases to process CRT glass domestically, have made this model financially and logistically challenging.

Much closer to the California border, E-World Online is working with Phoenix-based Closed Loop Refining & Recovery, Inc. (CLRR), a relatively new recycler of CRT glass. CLRR can recycle more than 70 million pounds of CRT glass per year using an innovative approach that extracts lead from CRT glass as part of the process. The extracted lead can then be used in batteries and other products, reducing the need to mine new lead out of the ground.

Currently the State of California requires that one of two methods be employed to compliantly recycle CRT glass that has been handled as a universal waste: 1) as a feedstock in the manufacturing of new CRTs, or 2) as a feedstock to primary or secondary lead smelters. Officials with California's Departments of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) have recognized that new outlets need to be evaluated and are holding meetings to discuss this issue. An electronic waste stakeholder meeting is scheduled in Sacramento on Sept. 26 to address how regulations might need to change to support new innovations coming to market or to allow alternative glass management practices.

"Our industry is at an interesting crossroads when it comes to CRT glass," explains Erie. "In my 12 years in the electronics recycling field, this is the first time that I've seen an e-waste material stream become obsolete and markets dry up so quickly. We're very pleased to be working with U.S. entrepreneurs developing domestic solutions and to see state regulators taking the logical next steps to utilizing new innovations in the marketplace."

About E-World Online and its Manufacturer Interstate Take-back System (MITS)
E-World Online administers comprehensive e-waste take-back programs across the country for leading consumer electronics manufacturers. The Manufacturer Interstate Take-back System (MITS) network, comprised mainly of either R2- or e-Steward-certified recyclers, will collect an estimated 60 million pounds of e-waste for some of the world's leading consumer electronics manufacturers in 2011. MITS is able to offer services in nearly all 50 states and provides manufacturers with a solution to monitor collection progress in real-time and guides consumers with information about local e-waste recycling options in their communities. E-waste accounts for 2-5% of municipal solid waste streams, and according to the EPA, only 18% of e-waste is recycled. E-World Online is a division of E-World Recyclers of Vista, Calif. For more, see www.e-worldonline.com or call (877) 342-6756.

About Dlubak Glass
Founded in 1932, Dlubak Glass Company is family-owned and operated, and is now in its third generation of family ownership. Since its start in the bottle recycling business, Dlubak Glass Company has grown to become one of the largest US recyclers and processors of glass, including being the largest American recycler of TV and PC monitor (CRT) glass. The company serves the automotive, CRT, lighting, plate, fiberglass, container, and specialty glass industries, with six plants located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arizona, in addition to numerous depots throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. The company's six plants are fully permitted and licensed for glass recycling, and serve their customers worldwide, with sales volumes in excess of 420,000 tons per year. Our Upper Sandusky, Ohio plant processes and sells over 250,000 tons of glass per year, and our Yuma, Arizona plant processes and sells over 20,000 tons of glass per year. For more information, visit www.dlubak.com.

About Closed Loop Refining & Recovery, Inc.
Closed Loop Refining & Recovery, Inc. (CLRR) enters the electronic recycling world with a new Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) glass recycling operation in Phoenix, Arizona. As a recycler of CRT glass, CLRR is initially set-up to recycle 3,000 tons per month in the companies' 175,000 square foot facility. By utilizing the latest glass recycling and polishing technologies CLRR is positioned as a leader in the CRT scrap recycling industry.

Formed in April 2010, CLRR's first facility is located in Phoenix, Arizona. Future expansion plans include the Mid-Western, North-Eastern and South-Eastern USA. Our corporate officers have over 50 years of experience in managing CRT's for recycling lead smelting and corporate financing. See www.closedlooprr.com.