5 Recovery of Metals from Electronic Waste
129
result in severe damage to the human blood, kidneys and nervous systems. It is estimated that by 2040, the carbon emission from the production and use of electronics
will reach 14% of the total emissions [5]. Recycling and recovering programs can
reduce the amount of hazardous e-waste in landfills and recover precious metals.
Components such as plastics, metals and glass can be recovered from e-waste [3, 9].
Currently, only 20% of e-waste is formally recycled and the rest ends up in landfills
or disposed of in poor conditions [5]. In the EU, which is the world’s leader in e-waste
recycling, only 35% of the e-waste is officially recycled.
Recovery of metals from e-waste is a difficult process. As an example, the recovery
rate for cobalt is only 30% [3]. Metals are essential for laptops, smartphones and
electric car batteries. However, obtaining recycled metals from e-waste is up to 10
times more energy efficient than those from raw metal ores mined.
5.1 Environmental and Health Issues of Electronic Devices
Manufacturing, reprocessing and disposal of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(EEE) have hazardous effects on the environment and human health. Manufacturing
of electronic devices plays an important role in climate change and greenhouse gas
emissions. Production of a tonne of laptops emits 10 tonnes of CO 2 to the atmosphere
[5]. The liquid and solid wastes from manufacturing EEE are also hazardous to the
environment and can pollute water sources and food supply chains. Various countries have implemented national regulations and e-waste management systems for the
collection and recycling of certain e-waste. In some developing countries, informal
recycling of the metals from e-waste includes burning the plastic of electronics in
an open pot to extract valuable metals, which poses health risks such as spontaneous
miscarriages, still and premature births and reduced birth weights as well as environmental impacts such as emission of fumes, gases and particulate matter into the
air. More seriously, carcinogenic elements in e-waste can also end up in the blood
of the workers at the dumping grounds, and the leachate from the dumping grounds
can contaminate groundwater and soil and contribute to environmental degradation
[5].
5.2 International Legislation on E-Waste
A total of 67 countries around the world have implemented legislations to deal with
the generated e-waste. This includes a producer responsibility law that mandates the
electronic manufacturers to take back the electronics free of charge for households
and small businesses, banned disposal of a wide variety of e-waste in municipal
garbage and strategies to change the behavior of the consumers regarding the recycling of the e-waste [1, 5]. The European Union has introduced two legislatives. The
main one is “The Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)”
129
result in severe damage to the human blood, kidneys and nervous systems. It is estimated that by 2040, the carbon emission from the production and use of electronics
will reach 14% of the total emissions [5]. Recycling and recovering programs can
reduce the amount of hazardous e-waste in landfills and recover precious metals.
Components such as plastics, metals and glass can be recovered from e-waste [3, 9].
Currently, only 20% of e-waste is formally recycled and the rest ends up in landfills
or disposed of in poor conditions [5]. In the EU, which is the world’s leader in e-waste
recycling, only 35% of the e-waste is officially recycled.
Recovery of metals from e-waste is a difficult process. As an example, the recovery
rate for cobalt is only 30% [3]. Metals are essential for laptops, smartphones and
electric car batteries. However, obtaining recycled metals from e-waste is up to 10
times more energy efficient than those from raw metal ores mined.
5.1 Environmental and Health Issues of Electronic Devices
Manufacturing, reprocessing and disposal of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(EEE) have hazardous effects on the environment and human health. Manufacturing
of electronic devices plays an important role in climate change and greenhouse gas
emissions. Production of a tonne of laptops emits 10 tonnes of CO 2 to the atmosphere
[5]. The liquid and solid wastes from manufacturing EEE are also hazardous to the
environment and can pollute water sources and food supply chains. Various countries have implemented national regulations and e-waste management systems for the
collection and recycling of certain e-waste. In some developing countries, informal
recycling of the metals from e-waste includes burning the plastic of electronics in
an open pot to extract valuable metals, which poses health risks such as spontaneous
miscarriages, still and premature births and reduced birth weights as well as environmental impacts such as emission of fumes, gases and particulate matter into the
air. More seriously, carcinogenic elements in e-waste can also end up in the blood
of the workers at the dumping grounds, and the leachate from the dumping grounds
can contaminate groundwater and soil and contribute to environmental degradation
[5].
5.2 International Legislation on E-Waste
A total of 67 countries around the world have implemented legislations to deal with
the generated e-waste. This includes a producer responsibility law that mandates the
electronic manufacturers to take back the electronics free of charge for households
and small businesses, banned disposal of a wide variety of e-waste in municipal
garbage and strategies to change the behavior of the consumers regarding the recycling of the e-waste [1, 5]. The European Union has introduced two legislatives. The
main one is “The Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)”