ITOCHU Partners with ERI to Expand IT Equipment Recycling in Japan and U.S.

ITOCHU Corporation has entered a capital and business alliance with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), alongside its subsidiary Belong Inc., to develop IT equipment recycling operations in Japan and the United States, the company said.

As part of the agreement, Belong and ERI plan to establish a joint venture, ERI Japan Inc., around April 2026. The company will focus on processing end-of-life IT equipment in Japan, including mobile devices, as demand grows for more structured recycling systems.

ITOCHU also plans to take a minority stake in ERI, signaling a broader push to expand its capabilities in IT asset disposition (ITAD) beyond its domestic market.

The partnership comes as governments and companies step up efforts to manage rising volumes of electronic waste and recover valuable materials from discarded devices. Industry estimates suggest the global ITAD market is set for steady growth over the coming years, driven by shorter device lifecycles and stricter data and environmental regulations.

ERI, founded in 2002, operates multiple recycling facilities across the United States and provides services including data destruction, asset tracking and materials recovery. The company has developed systems to track equipment through the recycling process and uses automation technologies to improve sorting efficiency.

ITOCHU established Belong in 2019 to expand its used mobile device business in Japan. The new venture is expected to link reuse and recycling operations, allowing the company to manage a broader portion of the IT equipment lifecycle.

The partners said the project will also focus on improving reverse logistics, an area that remains a key challenge in scaling electronics recycling due to fragmented collection systems.

By combining ERI’s processing technologies with ITOCHU’s global trading and logistics network, the companies aim to expand recycling capacity and improve the recovery of materials from end-of-life IT equipment.

Source: ITOCHU

SUNSHINE Spotlight: ITOCHU’s partnership with ERI reflects growing efforts to scale IT equipment recycling by combining global logistics networks with advanced processing technologies.