Eric Lundgren is a pioneer in the electronics recycling world. He worked his way up from helping his community to starting his own companies. His current company, IT Asset Partners, helps make the world a better place.
At only 33 years old, Eric Lundgren has had an eventful career with electronic recycling. At 16, he became the primary computer recycler for his hometown of Lynden, Washington. By 20, he started his own electronics recycling company and got a deal with American Airlines. With this deal, he was able to sell 40,000 recycled computers per year.
Lundgren didn’t like that recycling was so inefficient. Only 5% of a computer cannot be reused. Many parts are generic and can be used with many devices. Yet most recycling solutions melted them down for raw metals. Lundgren thought there was a better option. At 23 he traveled to Shenzhen, China to learn what he calls “hybrid recycling”. An example is turning cellphone batteries into portable USB chargers.
Lundgren’s company uses recycled parts to power their recycling center. By reusing parts from electric batteries, they have been able to make their own solar panels. They are able to power their 65,000 square foot building that recycles 40M pounds of electronics every year.
High P. A Recycling Entrepreneur Has Been Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2017/06/20/a-recycling-entrepreneur-has-been-sentenced-to-15-months-in-prison/#7f6b13e362ae. Published June 20, 2017. Accessed March 7, 2018.
Jackman T. Eric Lundgren, e-waste recycling innovator, faces prison for trying to extend life span of PCs. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/02/15/eric-lundgren-e-waste-recycling-innovator-faces-prison-for-trying-to-extend-lifespan-of-pcs/?utm_term=.b90c82a10565. Published February 15, 2018. Accessed March 7, 2018.
