John S. Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), discussed electronics recycling and “e-waste” today at the “HazWaste Forum 2010” conference at the University Club in New York City, presented by Madison Williams and Company LLC, the integrated capital-markets and advisory firm.
As part of an expert panel discussion on the financial promise of e-waste recycling as the potentially biggest of the green tech opportunities, Shegerian addressed the audience of investors and financial analysts looking for specific insights into the biggest trends among environmental industries. He stressed the fact that e-waste is still the fastest growing contributor to the waste stream and described long-range national and international implications of electronic recycling in terms of the environment and potential profits.
“Current Administration proposals for recycling as well as protecting the environment give added importance to this forum,” said Ken Leung, managing director and head of Madison Williams’ environmental banking unit. “The nation’s quest for energy independence, coupled with environmental considerations, creates a need for intelligent approaches to handling the byproducts of industrial development.”
“It’s a great honor to have been asked to be part of the expert panel on e-waste by Madison Williams today and to discuss electronic recycling before such an influential financial community audience,” said Shegerian. “The planet’s enormous glut of electronic waste is well past being swept under the rug. It’s an urgent concern that has created an enormous business opportunity for those companies willing to do it right. As more businesses continue to get in touch with their green DNA, as well as the promise of urban mining, we believe our relatively young industry will continue to have substantial impact.”
Shegerian coined the term “urban miners” to describe the electronic recycling industry and its ability to tap into the rich collection of resources within discarded electronic items.