Issue 4

Sustainable recovery of critical metals (CM) from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in the European Union (EU) requires information for detailed analysis, monitoring and decision-making. Related knowledge is currently insufficient or disseminated through the network of stakeholders. This paper assesses the requirements of an adequate Database Management System (DBMS) with participation of different actors involved in the recovery of critical metals and analyses the difficulties and the possibilities found for its implementation. The authors define a conceptual scheme of a DBMS to assess the information requirements and to establish the interactions between different actors of the WEEE supply chain, with the aim of supplying standardized information for management and research. Barriers are studied through a survey to identify obstacles for its elaboration. Limitations for its development are addressed and practical solutions for its elaboration are presented.

Re-Tek UK and its partners, Enscape Consulting and the University of West of Scotland commenced trials for the collection and recovery of critical raw materials from waste electrical and electronic (WEEE) products in July 2016. Sponsored by the EU LIFE funded project ‘Critical Raw Material Closed Loop Recovery’ coordinated by WRAP with EARN, ERP UK Ltd, KTN Ltd and Wuppertal Institute as beneficiaries. The trials are aimed at boosting the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from household waste electrical and electronic products (WEEE) and Information Communications Technology (ICT) in particular, after functioning equipment is separated out for re-use. The new collection models provided residents with the opportunity to drop-off unwanted electrical and electronic appliances at a time and place that suits them, through a collaborative approach which encourages local authorities, educational establishments, businesses, and Social Enterprises, etc to act as hub sites. Hubs were designed to minimize product damage and encourage drop-off, rather than hoarding. Extraction methods developed after the collection phase of the trial looked at the opportunity to recover cobalt, gold and silver from ICT products, with the potential to inform how a more sustainable supply chain could be developed in Scotland. The elements studied were selected to demonstrate financial opportunity (gold/silver) and a strategic priority material (cobalt) for long term supply. These are based on bioleaching and electrochemical recovery using novel carbon based electrode systems, and chemical processing methods using extraction techniques with an assessment of pilot performance and scale up challenges. Our report is on the state of progress towards practical solutions to WEEE and CRM recovery.

Technological development combined with a rapid and global market penetration has led to high volumes of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Simultaneously, the use-phase has become shorter resulting in an annual growth rate of WEEE between 3-5%, which makes WEEE one of the fastest growing waste streams. The high metal content of WEEE has been a driving force for behind the expansion of recycling industry. However, during the de-pollution process, a certain type of components is sorted out, which due to their diversity in shape, size, and material composition, cannot be assigned to any homogenous material. These components can generally be classified as complex components and include Printed Circuit Boards (PCB), Hard Disk Drives, Power Supply Units, etc. The aim of the present research is to provide an assessment of the material composition of complex components exemplified in more detail on PCBs. A set of minimal requirements has been developed in order to increase comparability of available data sets. Furthermore, a novel classification system has been designed for PCBs with according to the current recycling practices in EU. Finally, the paper provides a mapping of complex components with a particularly high content of precious metals and critical raw materials.

The circular economy approach represents a strategy to optimize product lifecycles, thus improving the sustainability of consumption patterns. In the European Union a recent legislative proposal has addressed this concept by promoting waste prevention and re-use as well as extensive recovery of materials. Such approach is particularly interesting for the management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), that is regarded as an urban stock of different metals, and in particular of both precious metals and rare earth elements. The recovery of metals is the main focus of WEEE management strategies and, more recently, it has been receiving a great deal of attention, especially due to the continuously increasing production of this waste stream. However, great room for improvements can still be recognised to ensure the overall sustainability of WEEE management. The present work discusses both the current needs and the main challenges regarding WEEE management in a circular economy perspective. To this end, WEEE generation trend and composition is provided and the legislative framework for its handling is overviewed, in order to point out future perspectives to develop a more sustainable management approach of this waste.