Greenway ups presence in electronics recycling sector

Greenway Metal Recycling Inc. has announced an expansion of materials it accepts for processing and trading to include electronic scrap, saying the announcement “marks a clear step forward for the company as it adapts to the changing needs of commercial and industrial clients throughout Chicago and the Midwest.”

The Chicago-based firm, owned by Sims Metal Management and Acme Refining veteran Joseph Skowronski, describes itself on its website as a full-service commercial and industrial scrap metal recycling company.

In a Greenway press release announcing both the launch of a redesigned company website and its foray into electronics recycling, the company says the volume of e-scrap generated is increasing while “environmental regulations and data security considerations have made proper disposal more important than ever.”

At the same time, the value of electronic scrap also appears to have risen in recent months, including the value of any copper or gold contained within discarded electronic items.

In the accompanying comments of the most recent earnings report of global recycling company Sims Ltd., that firm’s CEO and managing director Stephen Mikkelsen refers to a global processing chip shortage as a profitable circumstance for electronics recyclers.

“The extraordinary demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips has in turn driven the demand for high-quality used DDR4 chips, and [Sims] is well-positioned to benefit from the significant increase in DDR4 prices, specifically, and more generally the rise in all hardware prices,” Mikkelsen said last month.

Greenway lists as electronic materials it now accepts for recycling as including motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), printers and “other mixed electronic components generated by commercial and industrial facilities.”

The company says its website redesign and e-scrap expansion represent continued investment in its infrastructure and service capacity. “As material streams and regulatory expectations evolve, the company intends to adapt its systems accordingly while maintaining clear communication with its commercial and industrial partners,” states the firm.