Electronics, autos focus of November event in Macau

Switzerland-based conference organizer ICM AG says its 2016 Electronics & Cars Recycling event “will explore the considerable challenges and bountiful opportunities” in the two sectors. The conference is a reformatted version of the Electronics Recycling Asia event, which took place in Singapore from 2013 to 2015.

The 2016 Electronics & Cars Recycling conference will take place 15-18 November at the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel in Macau, China.

Speakers at the event will address topics pertaining to how to safely and profitably recycle end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), vehicle batteries, end-of-life computers, office equipment, consumer electronics, cellphones and other devices. Topics scheduled to be part of the program include:

• how to operate successfully in the recycling business in Asia;
• protecting people and the environment;
• e-scrap transparency;
• manufacturer take-back schemes and recycling efforts;
• government initiatives, such as the Circular Economy policy;
• processing technology advances and trends;
• reuse and refurbishment;
• mercury-containing scrap recycling (batteries, lamps, LCD screens);
• ELV depollution and dismantling best practices;
• ELV shredding and downstream materials separation; and
• lead-acid and electric and hybrid vehicle battery recycling.

As it has with its previous Asian events, ICM AG says it will organise optional recycling plant tours and will offer access to an exhibit area that features leading technology and service providers. The conference also is offering additional workshops after the main event.

“This is the best conference for understanding the present policies and different recycling schemes for WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) used in the EU, North America and Asian countries,” says Hsiao-Kang Ma, a professor at the National Taiwan University and a frequent speaker at ICM’s Asia events.

The forum’s Steering Committee says it has reintroduced car recycling to the annual event because of the growing ELV stream in China, India and the ASEAN region. “More automobiles and trucks are now sold in China each year than in any other nation, and the vehicle boom throughout Asia means a growing stream of ELVs,” says Prof. Duan Weng of Tsinghua University China, who is chairman of the 2016 event.

Some 300 recyclers, original equipment manufacturers delegates and government policymakers are expected to attend the Electronics & Cars Recycling 2016 conference. Last year’s event attracted delegates from more than 30 nations, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore the United States and nations throughout Europe.