OUR RECYCLING PROCESS

 SO, WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR STUFF?

Technology Lifecycle LLC. is currently in its 1st phase of development as a full service electronics recycling provider. Our new location at will give the mobility to further classify and collect the more than 50 commodity streams inherent in the electronics recycling process. Currently, in our Phase One Stage, we are what is considered a "Depot Recycler". This classification covers about 90% of the electronics recycling operations currently in the United States and Canada. This "DEPOT" classification simply means that items are collected, sorted, classified, and sold to other recycling operations, smelters, refurbishers, and end users here in the United States and Canada.


You are probably familiar with the 3 Rs of Recycling: REDUCE, RE-USE, and RECYCLE. We attempt to "RE-USE" as many electronic components as we can by sale of computers, etc. into the LOCAL computer/electronics retail community.  What we cannot sell as whole, working units into the LOCAL community we sell into the NATIONAL community. For materials that are obsolete (about 90% of what we collect) we try and harvest usable parts like: hard drives, LCDs, memory, DVD drives, laptops, etc. Material that is too obsolete for re-sale as a whole or needs repair/recalibration/materials recovery is palletized and shipped to other DOMESTIC recycling operations here in the UNITED STATES and CANADA. This category includes  CRT monitors, laptops, systems, fax machines, phone modems, copiers, etc. WE DO NOT CONTAINERIZE SCRAP FOR SALE DIRECTLY TO OVERSEAS MARKETS. Technology Lifecycle LLC. HAS NEVER CONTAINERIZED ANY MATERIAL DEEMED SCRAP FOR SALE OVERSEAS! As you well know by now, there is no "AWAY" and our techno-trash can easily poison other countries and communities.

Here at Technology Lifecycle LLC. we do our best to only do business with reputable domestic and Canadian processors of computers and electronics. Electronics recycling and its regulation is in its infancy here in North America and good legislation and regulation is just now becoming a reality. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976 was the first step in attempting to regulate household wastes and electronics. Currently, Technology Lifecycle LLC is exempt from site identification during our "Phase One" period because we are not directly processing hazardous materials. We are recognized by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and do not currently require any permitting, for more info on our status with the TDEC please contact Ryan Miller, TDEC Solid Waste Coordinator for East Tennessee (Ryan.Miller@state.tn.us)

( see See 40 CFR 261 of the US EPA Code:(http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/40cfr261_99.html)

Tennessee Code: (http://tennessee.gov/environment/permits/hazwstop.php#who) and (http://tennessee.gov/sos/rules/1200/1200-01/1200-01-11/1200-01-11.htm)

While Technology Lifecycle LLC. business activity does not require regulation from state or federal agencies, we strive to meet or exceed environmental standards.

Phase Two

Within 3 years and the acquisition of owned property, Technology Lifecycle, LLC. will approach the EPA regarding site identification and the ability to dismantle, shred, grind, and process electronics on-site, thereby creating local jobs and directly processing our community's "techno-trash"into salable commodities. "Phase Two" will see the implementation of a primary shredder and gas/dust capture technology for processing CRT Lead glass, circuit boards, plastics, and other low value items. Currently, our Whole TVs and TV CRT lead glass is being processed by our downstream partners.  With "Phase Two" status, Technology Lifecycle, LLC. will be able to dismantle TV sets and CRT monitors and send the CRT glass to our downstream partner for processing. This will help eliminate even more lead glass from the US waste stream.

WHERE DOES OUR STUFF GO?

With Technology Lifecycle LLC's Phase One Depot status, the majority of our unusable components are shipped to one of our downstream partners. Technology Lifecycle LLC. is committed to working only with domestic and Canadian processors/wholesalers. With the arrival of "Phase Two", we will be able to offer processed components to a world market and greatly improve our materials recovery. Currently our corporate asset reporting will show the general use of an item based on its rate of obsolescence. A detailed ultimate facilities destination reporting on a per item basis is available to companies for a per item fee. Our Vendor/Processor list, while not available to our clients or the public is available for perusal to any governing/regulatory body.

WHAT DO THEY DO WITH OUR STUFF?

The majority of obsolete electronics are dismantled/ground up by our processors for the large amount of mixed valuable materials they contain. Commodities like gold, copper, aluminum, steel, ABS plastic, vinyl, lead glass and many others are abundant in today's electronics. It is far cheaper to harvest the commodities from obsolete electronics than spend millions processing them from a limited ore and oil supply. For example, one ton of the richest gold ore might produce one ounce of gold whereas one ton of circuit boards will produce 9-10 ounces of gold. This is also true of steel, copper and silver, the most abundant metals in computers and electronics. A large amount of recovered electronics gold goes into the production of gold salt, which is directly used in the manufacture of gold circuitry. Plastics are simply re-melted and directly re-used in the plastics industry. Glass also is re-melted and made into new CRT tubes and glass block.

Here is a short documentary video about the metals recovery process for electronics:

For further questions on our process, please email us at: