Innovative Ways for E-Waste Recycling Management

The rapid advancement of science and technology is giving rise to e-waste. As per the report of ICEA, India is a hub of informal e-waste management in India, with approximately 90% of e-waste collection and 70% of e-waste electronic recycling management by a competitive informal sector. 

E-waste comprises dangerous and toxic substances, such as cadmium, chromium, lead, etc., that adversely impact the environment and health. For instance, these toxic materials can leach into the soil and contaminate air and waterways. 

According to the EPA, about 60 million tons of e-waste are produced globally each year. Hence, e-waste recycling management is paramount to save landfills and the environment. This blog will analyze the need for e-waste recycling management and innovative recycling methods.

Understanding E-Waste Recycling Management

E-waste is a term used to describe all types of old or discarded electrical or electronic equipment. As per the UN, e-waste is any discarded product with a battery or plug and features toxic and hazardous substances, like mercury, nickel, lead, cadmium, etc., that can pose a severe risk to the health of humans and the environment. 

Need for E-Waste Recycling

• E-waste products encompass valuable materials, such as gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, plastic, copper, and glass. E-waste recycling facilities help ensure these precious metals can be reclaimed for further use. This minimizes the demand for raw materials.
• E-waste management ensures the conservation of natural resources by extracting valuable materials. According to the EPA, one metric ton of circuit boards contains 800 times the amount of gold mined from one metric ton of ore.
• Electronic equipment manufacturing requires proper natural resources, like plenty of water. Hence, the demand for processing new products ( virgin material) increases. E-waste electronic recycling minimizes the scope of greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing the need for virgin material.

Effective Ways to Recycle E-Waste

Recycling e-waste is also known as urban mining because it comprises scarce and valuable materials.

Collection

Collecting e-waste and bringing it to the designated place is the foremost step. It can be collected through recycling bins, take-back programs, and on-demand collecting services. The collected e-waste is processed at the e-waste recycling services where workers categorize e-based manually on the model types.

Evaluation and Reuse 

Electronic equipment is evaluated to identify functional parts, and active parts are extracted for reuse. The active or reusable parts can be sold or used to create refurbished devices.

De-Manufacturing

It is a crucial process to remove potentially hazardous material. The electronic devices are disassembled into their components.

Shredding 

The components of e-waste that are of no use are broken down into smaller pieces. Shredding is primarily done to ensure that e-waste is ready for efficient material separation.

Material Separation

Different techniques separate ferromagnetic materials, like steel and iron, from waste. Existing techniques separate non-ferrous metals from alloys as per their magnetic and conductivity properties.

Water-Based Separation

The waste materials are put in machine-filled water where the low-density materials, like plastic, float over the water and heavy materials sink.

Final Evaluation

Before the recycled materials are refurbished or sold, a final check is done to check whether any valuable material is attached to e-waste.

Significance of Innovative E-Waste Recycling for Businesses

Compliance With Regulatory Frameworks: Complying with e-waste recycling management is crucial for businesses to avoid penalties, fines, and damage to reputation. Adopting innovative e-waste practices makes you environmentally responsible and mitigates the risk of legal consequences.

Circular Economy: It is becoming one of the critical aspects of promoting sustainability. Introducing valuable materials from e-waste into the production cycle minimizes the demand for virgin resources. 

Risk Mitigation: E-waste needs to be appropriately disposed of and recycled so that no adverse impacts can be made to the environment. By adopting responsible e-waste recycling facilities, businesses can minimize environmental harm and protect human health.

Social Responsibility: Over time, social responsibility is becoming significant for businesses to protect the environment and safeguard the well-being and health of workers involved in the e-waste recycling process.

Also Know: What happens when we don’t recycle e-waste properly?

Join GreenTek Reman: Your Reliable Partner for E-Waste Management

The importance of e-waste recycling management cannot be underestimated. Adopting proper e-waste management practices is crucial for businesses to stand out in the market and be socially responsible. GreenTek Reman is the Asia-Pacific’s first R2v3 Certified IT Asset Disposition & e-waste recycling services company. 

We have a decade of experience in the Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery of precious resources from electronic waste. Data Sanitization, Precious Metal Recovery (PMR), IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), and Product and equipment Destruction (PED) are some of our prominent services. We are also certified by the Ministry of Environment Forests (MoEF), Government of India. By joining us, you can reap the maximum benefits. Contact us now!