E-Scrap News Magazine: UPDATED: ISRI shapes policy on laptop batteries

UPDATED: ISRI shapes policy on laptop batteries

By Editorial Staff, E-Scrap News

September 11, 2015

E-scrap recycling companies recently met to develop a policy on laptop batteries for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.

Representatives of various companies met at the E-Scrap 2015 conference last week to work on a policy, ISRI reports in its latest newsletter.

"There is concern that policymakers throughout the world simply do not understand the existing reuse market and are forcing tested, functioning laptops into the shredder prematurely due to battery misperceptions, costing recyclers significant economic loss," according to ISRI.

The policy is expected to address the individual sale of laptop batteries, the sale of batteries with laptops and the sale of laptops without batteries, according to ISRI. Discussions at the E-Scrap 2015 conference focused on existing market conditions and distinctions between wholesale and retail sale of such products, ISRI reports.

"The committee also discussed what capacity percentage, if any, a battery should have in order to further legitimate reuse among other issues," according to ISRI.

The meeting was at the invitation of the chairs of ISRI's Reuse Committee, Craig Boswell of Hobi International and Sarah Cade of PC Rebuilders & Recyclers.

ISRI representatives say the group will advocate for the position of any approved policy in applicable forums, including the Basel Convention's Technical Guidance Document review on reuse and repair.

The Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE), a public-private partnership established by decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention that acts as a forum for stakeholders connected to the Basel Convention, is working to address the issue of potential usability of laptop batteries currently deemed non-working under the international trade agreement.

The working group guidelines currently require batteries in laptops to hold at least an hour of battery life for the batteries to be considered working, usable parts of a computer eligible for reuse and resale.

[The original version of this article incorrectly stated that the guidelines were from the Basel Convention, not the PACE workgroup.  Further clarification of the PACE workgroup was also added.]

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