E-Waste Recycling and Resource Recovery: A Review on Technologies, Barriers and Enablers with a Focus on Oceania

Electronic e-waste (e-waste) is a growing problem worldwide. In 2019, total global production reached 53.6 million tons, and is estimated to increase to 74.7 million tons by 2030. This rapid increase is largely fuelled by higher consumption rates of electrical and electronic goods, shorter life cycl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMetals (Basel ) Vol. 11; no. 8; p. 1313
Main Authors Van Yken, Jonovan, Boxall, Naomi J., Cheng, Ka Yu, Nikoloski, Aleksandar N., Moheimani, Navid R., Kaksonen, Anna H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2021
Subjects
biohydrometallurgy
e-waste
Electronic waste
Environmental impact
Flame retardants
Hazardous materials
hydrometallurgy
Metals
Oceania
pyrometallurgy
Recycled materials
Recycling centers
Resource recovery
Trace elements
United Kingdom > UK
United States > US
Asia
China
Europe
Brazil
Oceania
India
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Electronic e-waste (e-waste) is a growing problem worldwide. In 2019, total global production reached 53.6 million tons, and is estimated to increase to 74.7 million tons by 2030. This rapid increase is largely fuelled by higher consumption rates of electrical and electronic goods, shorter life cycles and fewer repair options. E-waste is classed as a hazardous substance, and if not collected and recycled properly, can have adverse environmental impacts. The recoverable material in e-waste represents significant economic value, with the total value of e-waste generated in 2019 estimated to be US $57 billion. Despite the inherent value of this waste, only 17.4% of e-waste was recycled globally in 2019, which highlights the need to establish proper recycling processes at a regional level. This review provides an overview of global e-waste production and current technologies for recycling e-waste and recovery of valuable material such as glass, plastic and metals. The paper also discusses the barriers and enablers influencing e-waste recycling with a specific focus on Oceania.
ISSN:2075-4701
2075-4701
DOI:10.3390/met11081313