Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Present and potential future recycling of critical metals in WEEE

Bakas, Ioannis ; Fischer, Christian ; Harding, Adrian ; Haselsteiner, Sabine ; McKinnon, David ; Kosmol, Jan ; Milios, Leonidas ; Plepys, Andrius LU ; Tojo, Naoko LU and Wilts, Henning , et al. (2014)
Abstract
This report focuses on critical metals in Waste from Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and their recycling possibilities. The criticality is defined in terms of demand. The EU needs access to these metals and recycling can be an important part of the supply-strategy. The report covers assessments of (1) the potential amount of critical metals in the selected product groups, and (2) the actual and potential amount of recycled critical metals.

The study shows that the current recycling of critical metals in WEEE is very low, but that the potential amount could be increased threefold by 2015. More recycling requires many different initiatives such as better collection, better pre-processing and end-processing, limiting the... (More)
This report focuses on critical metals in Waste from Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and their recycling possibilities. The criticality is defined in terms of demand. The EU needs access to these metals and recycling can be an important part of the supply-strategy. The report covers assessments of (1) the potential amount of critical metals in the selected product groups, and (2) the actual and potential amount of recycled critical metals.

The study shows that the current recycling of critical metals in WEEE is very low, but that the potential amount could be increased threefold by 2015. More recycling requires many different initiatives such as better collection, better pre-processing and end-processing, limiting the export of WEEE or used products out of the EU and better design of the EEE-products.

The study also shows the need to improve the data availability regarding simple questions such sales volumes, WEEE composition and the precise content of critical metals. Information also has to be available on the critical metals in the individual components of the EEE-product-groups, so the recyclers can easily identify and get access to the most important components. In that way it is also possible to make it more transparent, where the difficulties and the possibilities are located in the whole recycling process. It will make it easier for recyclers and smelters to give feed back to the designers of EEE so the designing of the products better can support the recycling process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
unpublished
subject
keywords
critical metals, WEEE, recycling, Europe
pages
100 pages
publisher
Copenhagen Resource Institute
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c961edb5-bed8-44f4-929a-c6d5386baecb (old id 3458681)
alternative location
http://www.cri.dk/sites/cri.dk/files/dokumenter/artikler/weee_recycling_paper_oct14.pdf
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:13:25
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:03:27
@misc{c961edb5-bed8-44f4-929a-c6d5386baecb,
  abstract     = {{This report focuses on critical metals in Waste from Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and their recycling possibilities. The criticality is defined in terms of demand. The EU needs access to these metals and recycling can be an important part of the supply-strategy. The report covers assessments of (1) the potential amount of critical metals in the selected product groups, and (2) the actual and potential amount of recycled critical metals. <br/><br>
The study shows that the current recycling of critical metals in WEEE is very low, but that the potential amount could be increased threefold by 2015. More recycling requires many different initiatives such as better collection, better pre-processing and end-processing, limiting the export of WEEE or used products out of the EU and better design of the EEE-products.<br/><br>
The study also shows the need to improve the data availability regarding simple questions such sales volumes, WEEE composition and the precise content of critical metals. Information also has to be available on the critical metals in the individual components of the EEE-product-groups, so the recyclers can easily identify and get access to the most important components. In that way it is also possible to make it more transparent, where the difficulties and the possibilities are located in the whole recycling process. It will make it easier for recyclers and smelters to give feed back to the designers of EEE so the designing of the products better can support the recycling process.}},
  author       = {{Bakas, Ioannis and Fischer, Christian and Harding, Adrian and Haselsteiner, Sabine and McKinnon, David and Kosmol, Jan and Milios, Leonidas and Plepys, Andrius and Tojo, Naoko and Wilts, Henning and Wittmer, Dominic}},
  keywords     = {{critical metals; WEEE; recycling; Europe}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  publisher    = {{Copenhagen Resource Institute}},
  title        = {{Present and potential future recycling of critical metals in WEEE}},
  url          = {{http://www.cri.dk/sites/cri.dk/files/dokumenter/artikler/weee_recycling_paper_oct14.pdf}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}