E-Waste Systems Inc. (fka EWSI)

[ecorunner]

repost of NRT/bulk handling systems press release from end of February:

catching up newcomers on recent devs:

EWSI Technological Expertise Continues to Expand

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwired - Feb 27, 2014) - E-Waste Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: EWSI) announced today that it has signed a joint venture project with National Recovery Technologies (NRT) to build a proprietary sorting system for rare earths recovery from e-waste.

NRT is highly recognized worldwide for innovative sorting technologies in recycling and this venture is a significant expansion of the EWSI brand of technologies," said Martin Nielson, Founder and CEO of E-Waste Systems, Inc. "The combination of resources, knowledge, and expanding global infrastructure expands the capabilities of both companies. This is a significant milestone for EWSI as we continue to implement our strategy for aggressive growth and rapid expansion."

The project is designed to develop a pilot electronic waste sorting facility as add-on to an existing EWSI location. The facility will utilize state-of-the-art detection techniques to identify materials containing rare earth metals such as neodymium and dysprosium within the e-waste stream. The rare earths will then be extracted through innovative magnetic sorting, and further processed for recovery.

NRT developed the technology with help from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program meant to encourage small businesses to engage in research and development projects aimed at commercialization. NRT has already received its funding through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2013 for Automated Identification and Sorting of Rare Earth Elements in an E-Waste Stream.

"We are very enthusiastic and eager to be part of the expanding EWSI brand we believe that being involved in this project takes one of our most innovative technologies to full commercial use," said Tracey Hartje, Technical Sales Manager for NRT. "There is significant strategic value for both parties, and we are eager to commence with our initiatives."

Most rare earth elements are mined through open pit mining, which involves opening the surface of the earth using heavy equipment and machinery. Creating this disruption on the surface of the earth makes mines the point source of release for three major contaminants: radionuclides, rare earth elements, and dust and metal in addition to disrupting thriving ecosystems. Each of these contaminants escapes the mines in different ways and they each have different detrimental effects on the environment.1

"EWSI's objective is a global one and NRT has presence in many important worldly markets," added Mr. Nielson. "They opened a demo center in the Boji Science Park of Suzhou, China in 2012, a European HQ through their parent company, Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2013, and continue to experience growth in their Tennessee operations. NRT exemplifies the highest health and environmental standards combined with strong governmental as well as commercial support and interest."

"Sorting e-waste streams has its own set of challenges and risks, at a level separate from anything else in the world of waste management," said John Rich, an R&D Engineer at NRT. "We created technologies designed to mitigate those issues and provide processes that are commercially viable."

Rare Element Resources (REEs) production has been dominated by China for the past decade resulting in dramatically higher prices for all REEs.2 Because of their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties, REEs are utilized in many technologies to enable them to perform with reduced weight, emissions, and energy consumption, while enabling greater efficiency, performance, miniaturization, speed, durability, and thermal stability.3 EWSI's systems reclaim REEs for re-use as a key component of the process.

"The EWSI portfolio of technologies and industry expertise continues to expand and the addition of this new proprietary system enables EWSI to deliver these new solutions on a global scale," added Mr. Nielson. "Teaming with EWSI provides access to network affiliates, proprietary technologies, including the ePlant1000, eWasteCC™, and eWasteTrack™, and committing to the highest industry standards, including zero landfill and the highest tier of health and safety concerns. EWSI brings technology, regulatory knowledge, industry experience, and an interwoven supply chain solution for the proper handling of high-end electronics recycling, and electronic waste materials recovery and reuse on a global scale."

EWSI has recently expanded in the United States adding operations in California, New York, New Jersey, and Ohio and internationally with new operations in India, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Ghana, the Caribbean, the UK, and Italy. Approximately 65 million tons of global e-waste generation is expected annually by 2017 with strong continual growth.

Sources:
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2016/finalwebsite/problems/environment.html
2. Mining.com
http://www.mining.com/chinas-rare-earth-profits-fall-98385/
3. Rare Earth TA
http://www.rareearthtechalliance.com/Applications