Shredding, sorting and recovery of metals from WEEE: linking design to resource efficiency

Abstract: Metals and other materials play a pivotal role in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as their properties impart unique functionality to consumer products. Metals are theoretically infinitely recyclable; however, the functionality and design of EEE complicate recycling due to their ever more complex structures producing un-liberated low grade and complex WEEE recyclates. Metallurgical smelting ingenuity helps very much to ‘close’ the loop of WEEE. This chapter will elaborate on the various issues that affect the recyclability of WEEE such as product design, physical separation and extractive metallurgy. It will also discuss the limits of recycling and what has to be done to increase resource efficiency of the various metals contained in WEEE.