Our modern lifestyle and the increased demand for technological innovations encourage us to constantly replace our electronic devices, resulting in massive amounts of obsolete products ending up in landfills. It’s no wonder that the amount of electronic waste is increasing almost explosively.
Electronic devices, especially printed circuit boards, contain large amounts of raw materials such as gold, silver and other rare earth metals, which are a valuable resource for manufacturing. Their recycling is therefore not only essential from an environmental perspective, but also economically justified, as by reusing raw materials we can reduce the energy and resource requirements for extraction and processing.
The economic aspects of recycling
Recycling offers various economic benefits. Recycling printed circuit boards can achieve significant financial savings by reducing raw material costs. In addition, it can also benefit local economies, as the process can create new jobs and support innovation in the development of sustainable technological solutions. According to Statista’s 2021 data, the global e-waste market has grown to $282 billion, indicating that the recycling market is also continuously expanding, and based on future trends, this growth is expected to increase further. Companies are also increasingly recognizing that ethical and sustainable operations, including the management of electronic waste, can increase their competitiveness in the market, as consumers are increasingly consciously choosing companies that take environmental impacts into account.
Main steps in the circuit board recycling process
- Collection: Collecting electronic waste is the first step, which involves dropping off used devices at appropriate locations. Collection points, such as stores, waste collection centers or community events, play a key role in providing the public with easy access to environmentally friendly options. It is important that during collection campaigns, people are provided with information about what happens to the devices they drop off. Proper information increases participation and raises awareness of the importance of sustainability.
- Preparation: The collected materials need to be cleaned and separated so that different materials, such as plastic, metal and glass, can be handled separately. This phase involves not only the physical separation of materials, but also the safe removal of potentially hazardous materials, such as heavy metals and old batteries. In addition, during the processing steps, it must be taken into account that the cleaning and separation process has the least possible impact on the environment.
- Recycling: This step involves the processing of the separated materials, during which raw materials are recovered and used to produce new products. Recycling is carried out as a series of technological processes, such as melting, granulation or chemical processing. Successful recycling not only results in economic benefits, but also reduces the ecological footprint, as the materials recovered during the process are directly used to manufacture new electronic devices. In addition, the use of recycled materials helps reduce the demand for raw materials, which means less mining and manufacturing, thereby reducing global resource depletion.
Why is it important to recycle printed circuit boards?
Electronic waste is not just simple garbage, but a source of serious environmental problems, which is why recycling is also essential from an environmental perspective. Outdated computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices contain a variety of toxic substances, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. These substances slowly leach into soil and water supplies, causing long-term adverse effects on wildlife and human health.
The lack of proper recycling not only causes the rapid depletion of natural resources, but also increases the demand for fossil fuels, thus contributing to global warming.
The United States generates approximately 9.4 million tons of electronic waste each year, which is a huge amount, and only a small portion of that, about 15-20%, is actually recycled. It is important for society to become more aware in this area, as each recycled unit can help reduce environmental impact and protect future generations.
Recycling printed circuit boards is becoming increasingly important, not only for environmental reasons, but also for economic reasons. Proper management of electronic waste can save significant raw materials and reduce waste production, which is especially important in today’s consumer society, where the rapid obsolescence of electronic devices is continuously increasing the amount of e-waste.
