With locations all throughout the U.S., Universal Recycling Technologies (URT) is an industry leader in integrated recycling solutions that prides itself on impeccable customer care, helping its customers maximize their return on investment and meet regulatory requirements with ease.

After being acquired by the Hendricks Holding Co. in 2007, URT has been able to expand its services, capabilities and national presence within just a few short years – allowing it to maintain top-tier status in the industry and set the bar for recycling practices throughout the U.S.

History of URT

Don Seiler and Jim Cornwell, president of URT, formed CRT Processing, LLC, which would later become URT, in 2003 to process e-waste, including cathode ray tube (CRT) glass-to-glass recycling. It was one of only a handful in the nation, and the only Midwestern firm to do so, at that time.

With the experience and expertise of Seiler and Cornwell, the company experienced an exponential amount of growth and success, which in 2007 caught the attention of Hendricks Holding Co., who then acquired the company. After partnering with Hendricks Holding Co., CRT Processing (the former URT) acquired Uniwaste Systems in Portsmouth, NH; opened a collections/transfer facility in Newport, ME; and opened a recycling facility in Oakdale, MN. The following year the company acquired Environmental Light Recyclers, a fluorescent lamp processing facility in Fort Worth, TX.

Business was off-and-running and in 2009 CRT continued to grow even further, opening a west coast electronic waste processing facility in Clackamas, OR; acquiring Resource Technology, a fluorescent lamp recycling equipment sales and service company; and introducing WasteSecure, a pre-paid pack-and-ship box program for fluorescent lamp and battery recycling.

By late 2009, it was evident that CRT Processing had expanded far beyond the “CRT processing” that had first brought it success. The company needed a new name to match its full-service universal waste recycling services and products lines, therefore in January 2010, CRT Processing, LLC became Universal Recycling Technologies, LLC or URT.

What Sets URT Apart From the Rest

Today, URT offers comprehensive recycling solutions for all types of universal waste and e-waste, asset management, convenient pre-paid pack-and-ship recycling box programs, and also manufactures its own proprietary recycling equipment. URT also sells a wide range of convenient pre-paid pack-and-ship recycling boxes for fluorescent lamps and batteries through its WasteSecure division.

URT prides itself on its exceptional customer service and offers customers complete turnkey recycling solutions to manage complex recycling programs with ease.

“What I think really sets us apart and makes us stand out from the rest are our Midwestern values – we do what we say, and we say what we do,” says Jim Cornwell, president of URT. “We follow up and we try to give customers more than what they expect. When we shake their hand it’s as good as a contract and those values are really carried throughout the organization.”

URT has a strong reputation and is a recognized leader in the industry – providing end-of-life recycling (de-manufacturing), asset recovery services (ARS), universal waste, commodities, and logistics management services to major market segments, including original equipment manufacturers (OEM), retailers, municipalities, and Fortune 500 organizations.

“We’ve had the benefit of working with a lot of the major OEM’s. They feel comfortable using us because they know we’re going to back up what we say, and when they come through for audits it’s exactly what they expect to see,” Cornwell says.

Another factor that defines URT is its ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 certifications, as well as its certification to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment.

“Our focus for the last year has really been on the ISO 9001. We’ve been very focused on building our business model and documenting everything we do, because being able to take our knowledge and processes and implement them correctly at each location as we continue to expand is really the key to helping this business grow,” Cornwell says.

URT also fosters a positive and motivating work environment for all of its employees, and encourages growth from within.

“It doesn’t matter how great of an organization you have with equipment, technology, machinery and things like that, what it really comes down to is having the right people,” Cornwell says. “So we really try to grow from within and look to develop a culture where we encourage our people and offer them opportunities for advancement, and in doing so, grow our operations.”

Ffuture Growth

URT is a fast growing company that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. It is opening a new facility in Indianapolis by the end of the month and plans to have a new location in upstate New York by the end of the year.

“Beyond that, as the industry continues to develop, which it will considering it’s still in a state of infancy, and as states continue to pass legislation requiring consumer electronics recycling, we will continue to grow as well and keep up with any new legislation,” Cornwell says. “As consumer awareness of the ability to recycle electronics grows, our company will grow.”