Mineral extraction technique developed to improve efficiency of e-waste recycling
Tuesday, March 22, 2016 - 09:43:40
Researchers in Iran have come up with a new way of recovering some of the valuable metals that are often left behind when electronic devices, such as mobile phones are scrapped or recycled, according to Circulate.
By using bacteria it has been possible for the team to extract materials, including gold and copper from unwanted old gadgets, enabling the reclaimed metals to then be used in the manufacture of new items so that they are not wasted.
The issue with recycling electronics at the moment is that many of the components within feature a combination of minerals, many of which are mixed in among one another, in a way that can make separation tricky.
Separating out these metals is already possible, but the chemical processes involved are hazardous in their own right and can be considered both environmentally problematic and unsustainable in the long term, especially given the sheer volume of e-waste that is produced globally each year.
However, by using bacteria as part of a technique known as ‘bioleaching,’ it has been possible for the Iranian scientists to overcome many of these issues and get back many of the precious metals which might otherwise have gone to waste.
Of course, the best way to get rid of an old mobile phone is to sell it to a recycling company. If it is in working order, then it will be refurbished and resold, with a full scrapping process only used as a last resort.
The recycling message is an important one to convey, but campaigners agree that reuse should be a priority, especially in the mobile phone market when you can sell an old device after a contract upgrade, even if it still has plenty of life left in it.
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