E-waste Recycling
Safaricom is collecting old phones, chargers and other small electronics at retail shops across Kenya until November 13, 2026. The initiative supports responsible recycling through established e-waste handling channels, with no monetary compensation for participants.
East Texas A&M researchers have joined a $250,000 project to recover gallium from semiconductor-rich electronic waste. The three-university initiative aims to develop high-purity gallium oxide production methods that could eventually support U.S. semiconductor supply chains.
Researchers from Queen's University Belfast, the University of Malaya and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS are developing cleaner methods to recover gold, copper and other valuable materials from electronic waste. The UK-funded iRECYCLE-Malaysia project combines chemical processing, plastics separation and commercial feasibility research to improve recycling outcomes.
Idaho National Laboratory is recruiting electronics recyclers in 25 states to expand a collection model that recovered more than 53,700 pounds of electronic waste from approximately 850 Idaho households. Selected organizations will help organize collection events through 2027, with expressions of interest due November 13, 2026.
Ghana's electronics recycling economy supports thousands of collectors, repairers and traders, but unsafe processing remains a serious environmental concern. From mechanical cable stripping to affordable refurbished televisions, local businesses demonstrate how valuable materials can be recovered and reused while protecting livelihoods.
Conflicting international waste classifications are creating obstacles for electronics recyclers and critical mineral recovery, according to discussions at BIR's October 2026 convention in Malaga. Speakers highlighted differing national rules for lithium-ion battery black mass, U.S. export licensing restrictions and the need for clearer regulations governing cross-border shipments.
Uganda has launched an electronic waste collection and awareness campaign during National Cleaning Day in Lira City. The initiative encourages households to separate old electronics from ordinary waste, use designated collection channels and protect personal data before disposal. Officials are also developing recycling policies and community sanitation initiatives.
South Africa's Limpopo E-Waste for Youth Employment Project shows how recycling can support local enterprise when technical training is combined with business development, regulatory support and access to established collection networks. The initiative offers lessons for creating lasting employment opportunities across the country's electronic waste sector.
New research highlights opportunities to recover greater value from electronic waste through device reuse, recyclable circuit boards, AI-assisted component sorting and selective metal refining. The findings also expose limitations in current recovery methods and reinforce calls for better collection and critical raw material recycling across Europe.
A session at E-Scrap 2026 highlighted a little-known issue in IT asset disposition: computers and mobile devices can remain tied to enterprise management systems even after data erasure. The problem has important implications for secure reuse, refurbishment and equipment resale.
Researchers at Monash University have developed an AI method that reduces electronic-waste image processing time by approximately sixfold while maintaining reliable recognition accuracy. Published October 26, 2026, in Scientific Reports, the findings could support more adaptable e-waste sorting technology, although commercial performance remains untested.
The BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Malaga will examine changing electronics recycling economics, rising critical mineral demand and international waste-shipment rules. Industry speakers will address the influence of data centres and electrification, differing Basel Convention classifications, and technical guidelines for e-waste entries A1181 and Y49.
Thailand is physically inspecting every container declared as metal scrap after authorities seized more than 10,000 tonnes of illegally imported e-waste in fiscal 2026. The tougher controls could slow legitimate scrap flows and raise costs for domestic smelters and recyclers.
South Africa is among nine African countries joining the $60 million Global Electronics Management Program, which aims to expand repair, reuse and responsible e-waste recycling while strengthening policy, finance and circular-economy markets.
The $60 million Global Electronics Management Program will support 16 countries in extending electronics lifespans, improving repair and reuse, and expanding responsible e-waste collection and recycling while strengthening policy, finance and technology access.
Cheap chargers, earbuds, LED lights, mini fans and electronic toys are creating a fast-growing e-waste stream. New European research finds 23% of consumers put unwanted Fast Tech in household waste, while recyclers face mounting lithium-battery fire risks.
Germany is reminding consumers that old electronics can be returned free through municipal and retail channels, yet the country’s e-waste collection rate remains just 28.7% against a 65% target. New data also show millions of small “Fast Tech” devices are still being hoarded or thrown away.
New Jersey electronics recycler EACR Inc. is highlighting its zero-landfill policy, data destruction, collection programs and solar panel recycling services as global electronic waste continues to rise. The company has operated for more than 25 years from its Lakewood recycling facility.
International E-Waste Day 2026 will focus on “Fast Tech,” the rapidly growing stream of inexpensive cables, earbuds, chargers, mini devices and other small electronics frequently thrown away or forgotten. Global e-waste reached 62 million tonnes in 2022, but only 22.3% was formally collected and recycled.
Circuit4EU is developing 10 technologies, including AI inspection, robotic disassembly, desoldering and hydrometallurgical recycling, to recover critical raw materials from electronic waste and help move more recovery processes toward industrial-scale deployment.
More than 200 Buena Vista residents recycled 13,712 pounds of electronics during a September 26 collection event. Combined with the town's spring cleanup, Buena Vista has collected 16,158 pounds of e-waste in 2026, 23% more than last year.
The patent specifies a final product containing at least 99.9% tin, with purity verified using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) or ICP-OES analysis.
University of Surrey research found that 50% of electronics recorded at U.K. Repair Cafés were successfully fixed and another 28% were potentially repairable. The study argues that repair, reuse and parts recovery should be assessed before devices automatically enter conventional recycling streams.
Electronics recycler ERI has become a strategic investor in Cyclic Materials, expanding a partnership that connects large-scale e-waste collection with specialized rare earth recovery. Cyclic's recent $75 million financing round brought its total equity funding to $237 million as it expands U.S. processing capacity.
It also proposes 52 measures tailored to three sectors that cover areas such as renewable energy, emissions tracking, equipment reuse, accessible services and workforce skills.