Sunnking's Adam Shine Named Finalist for the First-Ever Electronic Circular Innovation Award

Sunnking Sustainable Solutions President Adam Shine has been named a finalist for the Electronic Circular Innovation Award — a brand-new honor from the E-Scrap Conference recognizing the people and organizations driving reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling forward across the electronics industry.

It's the first year this award has existed, and Adam is one of a small group of finalists nationwide being recognized for their applied work.

What Adam Was Nominated For

Adam's nomination centers on his leadership of a research partnership between Sunnking, Idaho National Laboratory, and the REMADE Institute. The work spans several fronts:

1. Testing new e-waste collection-event models. Rather than assuming the way recycling events have always worked is the way they should keep working, this research looks at how collection events can be structured to reach more people and recover more material.
2. Tackling battery-device safety. As lithium-ion batteries show up in more consumer devices, the risks that come with mishandling them — including fires at processing facilities — have grown alongside them. This part of the work focuses on safer handling and processing methods.
3. Advancing recovery of plastics, metals, and solar components. As solar panels and other emerging technologies reach end-of-life at scale, the industry needs better ways to recover the materials inside them. This research pushes that forward.

Taken together, it's the kind of work that doesn't happen without a genuine, sustained partnership between industry and applied research — exactly what the REMADE Institute and Idaho National Laboratory bring to the table.

Why This Award Matters

The Electronic Circular Innovation Award is new this year, but the E-Scrap Conference itself is the largest annual gathering of the U.S. electronics recycling and ITAD industry — bringing together processors, ITAD firms, material traders, equipment manufacturers, and the people making decisions about how e-waste gets handled at scale. Being recognized within that community means something.

The winner will be announced at the 2026 E-Scrap Conference, held October 26–28 in New Orleans.

A Team Effort, Recognized Individually

Adam's nomination reflects work that's been years in the making — the kind of collaborative research that doesn't always get public attention but ends up shaping how the entire industry operates down the line. Recognizing that publicly, through an award built specifically for this kind of contribution, is a meaningful first for the field.

Voting for this year's finalists is open through Friday, September 18. If you'd like to support Adam and see the full lineup of nominees, cast your vote before the deadline. https://www.e-scrapconference.com/electronic-circular-innovation-award

Want to learn more about Sunnking's role in advancing the circular economy — including our ongoing partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology and the REMADE Institute — visit sunnking.com/enterprise or reach out directly.

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