February 3, 2000 — For Immediate Release

EI Digest: Metals Recovery from Hazardous Waste Facing
Financial & Regulatory Challenges

Firms expecting 3 to 10% volume increase in 2000

Contact:Thomas Moes 612/831-2473, ext. 11
Cary Perket 858/488-4760

A recent report from EI Digest: Hazardous Waste Marketplace, North America’s leading research service on hazardous waste management, reports that metals recovery from hazardous waste is being inhibited by low market values for recycled metals and lack of regulatory incentives.

The report surveyed 43 facilities operated by 30 companies. The majority of firms reported increases in the amount of wastes they accepted in 1999 over previous years. This appears to be a reversal of earlier trends suggested by EPA data, which indicated a net decrease between 1997 and 1995. EPA data indicates that in 1997 approximately 621,000 tons of wastes were sent to the 43 facilities for recycling.

"The fact that volumes increased in 1999 is good news for the metals recovery market," says EI researcher Thomas Moes. " It is rather remarkable considering that precious metal prices are at all time lows. Operating profits from recycling operations are obviously directly impacted by the revenues received from the recovered metals—the lower the revenues, the lower the operating profits."

"The majority of the firms contacted expect a better year in 2000," says Moes. The expectation was for modest growth of 3 to 10 percent in waste volume. "The exception to this is mercury waste where there seems to be considerable activity and growth. Our 2000 survey will further examine the metals recovery market niche for mercury-bearing wastes. There are many small firms in that niche that we hope to include in next year’s survey."

Despite the fact that recycling remains one of the preferred alternatives for waste management, there are relatively few regulatory incentives causing waste to be sent to metals recovery operations over less expensive alternatives. The sector was encouraged by the EPA passage of the Phase IV land disposal restrictions as a step that might provide economic incentives to perform more recycling.

"The importance of regulatory incentives is illustrated in this sector by the explosions of small firms specializing in the recycling of mercury," says EI Senior Analyst Cary Perket. "The regulatory restrictions placed on the management of mercury waste stimulated recycling in this market niche."

This report appeared in EI Digest: Hazardous Waste Marketplace, a business research journal published 10 times per year that covers hazardous waste management issues. Further information on EI Digest can be found on ENVIROBIZ.COM (www.envirobiz.com), one of the Internet’s leading sites for proprietary and public environmental business information. Based in Minneapolis, Environmental Information, Limited (EI) specializes in information and research on the marketplace for environmental services and technology. EI provides original subscription-based research services on the marketplace for environmental services and technology. Among the services is the comprehensive compilation of the largest directory and database of environmental service firms, landfills, and treatment, disposal, and storage (TSD) facilities in North America. For further information, contact customer service at 612/831-2473.

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