To revolutionize e-waste management, one circuit board at a time.
Drop-off locations: Dedicated e-waste collection centers, designated bins in community recycling facilities, or retailer take-back programs provide convenient ways to discard your e-waste.Collection events: Periodic e-waste drives organized by municipalities or environmental organizations offer another drop-off option.Scrap yards: Some scrap yards accept specific types of e-waste, like metal-heavy appliances.Initial sorting: E-waste is initially sorted by category, such as computers, televisions, mobile phones, batteries, and mixed e-waste.Component separation: Skilled workers or automated mechanisms further dismantle devices, separating materials like plastics, metals, circuits, and hazardous components like mercury from batteries.
Shredding and crushing: Bulky items like appliances and televisions are shredded or crushed to facilitate further processing. Metal extraction: Magnetic separation and smelting procedures recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals for recycling. Circuit board processing: Precious metals like gold, silver, and palladium are extracted from circuit boards using hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical processes. Plastics recycling: Depending on the type of plastic, it may be shredded and melted for remanufacturing into new plastic products. Battery recycling: Specific processes, like pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy, are used to recover lead, lithium, and other materials from batteries. Mercury lamp treatment: Mercury-containing fluorescent lamps are carefully dismantled and the mercury is safely contained and reused or disposed of in a specialized facility.
Recovered materials: The recycling process yields secondary materials like recycled metals, plastics, and glass that can be used in the production of new products. Proper disposal: Non-recyclable components and hazardous materials are disposed of responsibly in landfills or specialized facilities to minimize environmental impact