IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546580
SEPTEMBER 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 43 So, landfill avoidance has become an important part of what we do. Electronic waste presents particular challenges for landfill operators. Lithium-ion batteries can create significant fire risks, while electronics also contain plastics, persistent chemicals and metals that simply don't belong buried in the ground if there is a viable alternative. So rather than dealing with those risks after the material has been buried, we're working with land- fill operators to intercept the electronics before they enter the landfill and provide another pathway for them. How much e-waste do you esti- mate ends up in landfills? The exact numbers vary depending on how elec- tronic waste is defined and measured, but we know that significant quantities still fail to enter appropriate recy- cling streams. For us, the more impor- tant question is what we can practically do about it. We can work directly with landfill operators and communi- ties to divert those electronics before burial, process them securely, address the non-metal components, and return the recovered metals to the domestic circular economy. That changes something that would otherwise have been a landfill liability into a new domestic source of materials. Xscindo is still a young company, but what are you most proud of accomplishing? Probably seeing material that would otherwise have been buried actually being diverted from landfill and returned to productive use. But I think there's a larger opportunity emerging as well. The United States, and in fact most coun- tries, needs secure and resilient sources of critical and strategic materials. At the same time, enor- mous quantities of those materials already exist inside electronics that have reached the end of their useful lives. If we can securely release those devices, elimi- nate the data and environmental liabilities asso- ciated with them, and return their metals to the domestic supply chain, we're effectively opening an additional source of critical and precious materials from resources that already exist here. I'm also particularly proud of the trust we're begin- ning to build. Organizations entrust us with devices containing extremely sensitive information. That carries a significant responsibility, and our philos- ophy is that trust should be supported by trans- parency and evidence rather than simply asking customers to believe us. Aiden, can people visit your facility to see what you do? Absolutely. We actively encourage it. We've wel- comed customers, gov- ernment officials, land- fill operators, and other stakeholders to our Wy- oming facility to see the process firsthand. I think your own eyes are often the best form of transpar- ency. If someone is entrusting us with sensitive electronics and their data, they should be able to see exactly what we're doing with them. More broadly, I think the market itself is changing. Awareness of data security, landfill risk, PFAS, over- seas exports and critical-material dependency is increasing rapidly. As those risks become better understood, I expect customers, regulators, and the recycling industry will demand more secure, trans- parent, and verifiable end-of-life solutions. We're positioning Xscindo for where we believe that market is going. It has been so interesting to learn about Xscindo. It gives me hope that we might be able to get this e-waste thing under control. Thank you. Thank you, Marcy. I really appreciate the opportu- nity to tell our story and, more importantly, to bring greater attention to an issue I think we're only be- ginning to fully understand. I-CONNECT007