COM2 Recycling Solutions

In 2002, Saheem Baloch founded COM2 as a small storefront electronics repair and refurbishment company in Lombard, IL. As business grew, so did the inventory of unsalvageable components and parts. It soon became apparent to Saheem and his partners that they would either have to entrust the scrap to someone else to recycle or develop the capacity to do it in house.

Not only did they launch into full-scale electronics recycling, but by 2011 COM2 Recycling Solutions became the first e-recycler in Illinois to achieve certification to both responsible electronics recycling standards. In 2012 COM2 also opened a second operation in Mississauga, ON, just north of Toronto, to service its growing customer base.

Today COM2 operates two processing facilities in Carol Stream, IL, encompassing almost 300,000 square feet; a large portion of which was recently added to accommodate the new CRT recovery system. The original resale and refurbishment store in Lombard, IL continues to service the local community and provides a drop off location for residential recycling. The company also manages a network of 45 drop off centers throughout the mid-west and another 6 in the greater Toronto area.

COM2 Recycling Solutions: Creating New Products from old TVs and Monitors

Your e-recycling program is only as sound as your recycler's CRT glass management program
Over the past few years, a growing number of environmental violations at e-recycling facilities have come to light where recyclers simply stockpile CRT glass rather than paying to send it for recovery. Some of these companies have abandoned their business, leaving the mess and the financial liability for their customers to take care of.

COM2 began processing CRT glass at its Carol Stream, Illinois facility in 2009. After separating and cleaning the glass, the processed glass was sent to downstream facilities for final recovery. COM2 soon realized the constraints and costs of sending glass off site for final recovery were becoming prohibitive and decided to invest in its own CRT glass recovery process.

CRT GLASS TO CERAMIC TILE GLAZE: Replacing raw materials to produce superior ceramic tile products

CRT glass contains many of the essential ingredients of 'frit', or glaze for ceramic tile. CRT glass performs as an excellent substitute for these raw materials thereby conserving natural resources, reducing carbon emissions and saving energy. 

How it Works

After CRT glass is separated and cleaned of phosphors and other possible contaminants (metal, plastic, etc.), the glass is reduced in size (~1/4'). Both leaded and non-leaded glass are carefully mixed with other ingredients, replacing feldspar, sodium carbonate and quartz which are all required for production of frit and are all contained in CRT glass. 

In traditional frit and glass manufacturing, these materials must be subject to high temperatures and fused. Since CRT glass has already been vitrified, the energy for that step in the process is eliminated. The lead contained in the funnel portion of CRT glass makes the glass highly fusible, further reducing the amount of energy required for the overall manufacturing process.

What We Accept

•  Intact TVs, monitors and other CRT containing devices
•  Bare CRT tubes
•  Separated funnel and panel glass
•  Mixed funnel and panel glass