2016 World Recycling Forum exposes challenges to e-waste recycling sector

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The 2016 Word Recycling Forum: Electronics & Cars Recycling, organized by Switzerland-based ICM AG held Nov 15-18 in Macau, China has highlighted the challenges faced by responsible recycling of world’s growing electronics waste. The speakers cautioned of the rising e-waste volumes across the world, especially in Asian countries.

Speaking at the session, Rasmus Bergström of Sweden-based Stena Technoworld AB noted the absence of a genuine closed loop in the electronic scrap sector, mainly because of lack of widespread use of plastics in various applications. The huge drop in demand for plastics is identified as the key factor that prevents electronics manufacturers and recyclers from putting plastic back into the loop. According to Bergström, only around 35-40% of the obsolete electronics in the EU are responsibly recycled. More than 50% of them are handled by illegal traders, who often indulge in exporting these goods to other countries, in violation of law. As per estimates nearly 8% of electronics waste in the EU is landfilled.

The Forum made special mention to investments made by several world countries to properly treat huge piles of electronic waste. Hong Kong’s first e-scrap recycling facility by the country’s government in partnership with ALBA Integrated Waste Solutions is expected to have a capacity to handle 30,000 tonnes of e-waste per year. This could be later expanded up to 56,000 tonnes per annum, if required. The facility will employ ALBA’s proprietary state-of-the art techniques to process devices including televisions, computers, washing machines and air-conditioners in order to recover valuable secondary raw materials. Incidentally, rough estimates indicate that nearly 70,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are generated in Hong Kong every year.

The Indian Ministry of Communications and IT has associated itself with Bangalore-based E-Parisaraa Pvt Ltd in setting up a pilot program to promote electronic scrap recycling infrastructure in the country. The project offers collection, dismantling and recycling of a wide range of end-of-life computer, telecom and electronic equipment. The shredded PCBs are treated with pyrolysis method to make them ready for smelting.

Professor Weng Duan of Beijing-based Tsinghua University stated that the number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in the country is expected to jump five-folds from nearly 3.17 million in 2011 to 15.4 million by 2020. The Chinese administration has partnered with China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) in carrying out an EPR program for vehicles. The initiative requires vehicle makers to provide dismantling manual and catalog for each vehicle. The manual is expected to outline best practices for dismantling of vehicles.

Fons Krist of Germany-based Aurubis AG stated that recycling of an average lot of 10,000 tonnes of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) contains copper (20%), plastic (64%), other metals (15%) and precious metals (nearly 1%). Based on current market value, the value of recovered metals stands at approximately $63,000. However, the PCBs are mostly handled by informal sector in many ASEAN countries. The recycling sector in countries such as Pakistan employs unsafe and primitive techniques to remove valuable metals from PCBs, which in turn lead to pollution of environment.

According to Alexandre Comino of Italy-based Hellatron S.p.A, each unit of CRT contains on ana average 1-1.5 kilograms of lead. The company has developed a new technology that involves initial disassembly, glass grinding, tumble cleaning and lead recovery processes that ultimately produce 99.8% pure lead powder. The technology has recently been tested at a pilot plant in southern Italy, Comino noted.