How Many Materials are Reclaimed When Technology is Recycled?

TL; DR – In many cases, recovering precious materials from e-waste comes at the expense of the other materials found in that device. This is why it is important to break down the hardware and separate the materials before refining, as it helps to avoid this issue.

Why does Material Recovery Even Matter?

As amazing as the Earth is, it is not a machine that produces infinite precious materials. If we are not careful, then at some point we will run out, and that could be sooner than many anticipate.

Resource recovery is vital if we are to keep progressing technologically, as well as if we don’t want to run out of materials for future manufacturing. This can be achieved through strategies such as landfill mining which consists of retroactively pulling e-waste from the landfills it has ended up in for the purpose of extracting whatever materials possible. Not only does this help to recover materials but also fights the toxic threat of e-waste.

Ideally, it never gets to this stage. If hardware is recycled responsibly then the process of material extraction can be much more efficient and effective.

What Materials are in Tech Devices?

Although the materials found in IT hardware does vary, there are some resources that are commonplace. For example:

Gold
Silver
Palladium
Copper
Steel
Lead
Mercury

Some of these, such as gold, are precious and important to recover whenever possible. Others, such as lead, are hazardous and if not treated properly can cause serious harm to those unfortunate enough to be around it.

How does E-Waste Recycling Work?

Before raw materials can be recovered from redundant hardware, it must go through collection, sorting, and disassembling. For a business looking to recycle their redundant IT equipment, however, the process is very straightforward. All that is required is to identify and contact a quality e-waste recycler.

The way in which the equipment is recycled will depend on the materials being recovered, as well as the recycler themselves. Recycling can vary from highly advanced bioleaching solutions, all the way to shredding the equipment and extracting metals with a magnet. There iare many ways in which e-waste can be dealt with, and new technologies are constantly being developed to improve efficiency and yield.

How Much Material Can be Recovered?

It’s almost impossible to give a number. E-waste contains a complex mixture of materials, and these can vary greatly depending on the item in question. A laptop will contain different materials than a refrigerator, for example.

In 2023, there was an estimated 13.8 million tonnes of e-waste recycled globally. It is estimated that only 22% of e-waste is recycled, but the potential for material recovery is staggering. It is estimated that there is $15 billion of gold, $19 billion of copper, and $16 billion of iron available within e-waste. The total current value of e-waste management yields around $28 billion but could potentially reach $91 billion with work.

There is room for improvement here, but e-waste recycling practices are already providing a positive impact. The recovery of raw materials through e-waste recycling currently prevents the necessity to mine 900 billion kg of virgin resources in the earth globally. The good news is that this number is only going to continue to grow and our reliance on mining for new materials will continue to shrink.

Recycling E-Waste with Techbuyer

Resource Recovery works in tandem with our ITAD solutions to ensure that we don’t just maximise the value of your redundant IT, but we also stop any hardware heading to landfill. If equipment can be refurbished or repaired, then our team will ensure that it is. If not, then the equipment will be harvested for parts, and the materials will be sent to one of our trusted recycling partners.

Looking to responsibly dispose of your redundant IT equipment? Reach out to our team for a free, no commitment quote and find out just how much your hardware could be worth.