Integrated Recycling Technologies

E-waste is currently the fastest-growing waste category worldwide, yet only 17% was formally collected and recycled in 2022, revealing significant regional disparities. When recycled properly, e-waste provides an energy-efficient source of raw materials like copper, lithium, nickel, and gold, which are crucial for the energy transition. Additionally, refurbishing, reusing, and remanufacturing electronics can help reduce the extraction of virgin materials and lower emissions from production. A safe circular electronics trade is essential for enhancing refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling efforts while also preventing landfill disposal and improper end-of-life treatment. Five thought leaders from the World Economic Forum’s Circular Trade Community discuss how trade and investment can positively impact circular electronics: https://loom.ly/Ssj4hWw #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

India is planning a repairability index for mobile phones and electronic products to address the growing e-waste problem and encourage manufacturers to produce more easily repairable items. The proposed index will be similar to initiatives in other countries, such as France's repairability index. It will rate products based on criteria including the availability of technical documents, ease of disassembly, spare parts availability, and pricing. The government has already launched a Right-to-Repair Portal, with 63 companies onboard, including 23 from the mobile and electronics sector. The planned initiative aims to reduce e-waste further, promote sustainable practices, and create opportunities for third-party repairers in India's growing electronics market. Read more about India's repairability index: https://loom.ly/wGhb5mY #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

An e-waste-to-landfill ban has come into force in Western Australia, fulfilling a state-level commitment to becoming a low-waste circular economy. The ban is aimed at organizations rather than households, with banned items having recovery pathways put in place to ensure a smooth transition. According to Adrian Wiley, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) director of circular economy, e-waste has become one of the fastest-growing waste streams in Australia, and the ban would assist in the recovery and reuse of valuable materials that may otherwise be lost to landfills. “The initiative will help build local industry and assist in creating a more circular economy. While this ban is aimed at industry, I encourage everyone to assist in reducing e-waste to landfills by disposing of their e-waste at appropriate facilities. This is particularly critical for batteries, which should never be disposed of in the bin,” he said. Learn more about Western Australia's e-waste to landfill ban ?? https://loom.ly/f8teA2o #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

Cartoon Network Africa's Climate Champions initiative engages children in South Africa on the critical issue of electronic waste recycling, encouraging them to take small steps to make a big difference. The popular channel partnered with the E-Waste Recycling Authority (ERA), a producer responsibility organization (PRO) specializing in the country's e-waste recycling and electronic waste management to help educate children about e-waste. Ashley du Plooy, chief executive officer of ERA, sees young people as the ideal target audience for addressing the electronic waste problem. "E-waste has a long history and a very long future. Collaborating with Cartoon Network helped us deliver our message to young minds," he said. Learn more about Climate Champions: https://loom.ly/GxlinPY

Luminescent polymers are extensively utilized in today’s electronics. Yet, disposing of these electronics leads to environmental concerns, as they end up in landfills or underground burial. A recent publication in Nature Sustainability by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory shares a strategy for designing luminescent polymers with high light-emitting efficiencies that are both biodegradable and recyclable. The team’s objective is to enhance the sustainability of future electronics by focusing on making them easier to degrade or recycle rather than solely designing for current functionality. Learn more ?? https://loom.ly/SQ4TCAI #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

Amidst the piles of discarded gadgets and obsolete electronics, creative and resourceful artists from around the globe have seen the potential for innovation and expression. These artists have and continue to address the critical issue of ewaste, often transforming it into captivating works of art that can ignite conversations about the environmental impact of ewaste. Here’s how Michael Bullock, Vishwanath Mallabadi Davangere, and Nor Tijan Firdaus use their art to impact the conversation around global ewaste and environmental sustainability: https://loom.ly/3fgox8E #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

In a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, a team of researchers led by Victor Mougel, Professor at the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, presents a surprisingly simple method for efficiently separating and recovering the rare earth metal europium from complex mixtures including other rare earth metals. Marie Perrin, a doctoral student in Mougel’s group and the study's first author, explains: “Existing separation methods are based on hundreds of liquid-liquid extraction steps and are inefficient. The recycling of europium has so far been impractical.” Their study shows how a simple inorganic reagent can significantly improve separation. “This allows us to obtain europium in a few simple steps – and in quantities at least 50 times higher than with previous separation methods,” says Perrin. The researchers have patented their technology and are founding a start-up called REEcover to commercialize it in the future! Learn more ?? https://loom.ly/5dY4UqI #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

In July, the city of Sydney, Australia, announced the launch of a new facility dedicated to recycling hard plastics from electronic waste into 3D printing filament. The facility, a joint venture between the UNSW and Renew IT, represents a significant step towards a more sustainable approach to waste management. Traditionally, 3D printer filament in Australia has been made from imported petrochemicals. However, this new facility will produce filament locally using recycled plastics, mitigating the environmental impact of global shipping and reducing the reliance on virgin plastics, which have historically dominated the 3D printing industry. Professor Veena Sahajwalla, founder and director of the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT), expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We’re turning the hard plastics found in all modern electronic hardware but not subject to conventional recycling methods into feedstock for a booming sector." Learn more ?? https://loom.ly/x2-VXMA #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

Device reuse is the practice of prolonging the life of IT devices by refurbishing and repairing them for reuse rather than disposing of them physically. It plays a major role in reducing the generation of e-waste and its impact on the environment. Organizations could practice secure media sanitization over device destruction to promote device reuse. Global bodies like NIST with their Special Publication 800-88 and the IEEE with Standard for Sanitizing Storage have stated that media sanitization techniques like overwriting, cryptographic erasure, block erasure, etc., are sufficient for permanent data removal beyond the scope of recovery. This means that erased devices can be reused without the fear of compromising data confidentiality. Implementing an effective device reuse strategy requires careful consideration of an organization’s sustainability goals and how device reuse practices can best be integrated with ongoing operations. https://loom.ly/wU2RApU #r2certified #ewaste #ewasterecycling #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy

Electronic waste (e-waste) has long been a challenge for data center operators concerned about environmental sustainability and social responsibility. However, the ongoing boom surrounding AI could make the problem even worse. That’s why now is the time for data center operators and businesses that deploy AI workloads inside data centers to start thinking about e-waste management strategies. By getting ahead of the issue, they can reduce the amount of AI infrastructure that results in e-waste. One option is for businesses to share AI training servers. Rather than purchasing their own GPU-equipped servers for training, companies can opt for GPU-as-a-Service offerings. That's much more sustainable and cost-effective than owning GPU-enabled servers that don't require continuous use. Companies should also ensure they recycle or dispose of AI servers when they no longer need them. Learn more ?? https://loom.ly/FBlHuCU #r2certified #ewaste #AI #erecycling #ITAD #circulareconomy