Recycling of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipements (WEEE)

High-tech products, LCD screens, smartphones, rechargeable batteries, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, printed circuit boards in washing machines, etc., which are part of our everyday lives, require metals that are sometimes scarce in the Earth's crust, or whose production is controlled by a limited number of countries such as China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Brazil. In an attempt to limit the depletion of natural resources and address the risks associated with the oligopoly or quasi-monopoly that exists for these metals, the European Union has turned to other sources of supply, in particular the recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Whether rare (In, Ga), critical (precious metals) or strategic (Ta), these metals are sometimes more abundant in the urban mine that is this waste than in their geological mine.

In addition to its economic benefits, recycling WEEE can be an attractive resource, helping to secure metal supplies while protecting the environment, which WEEE pollutes. From proven extractive metallurgy processes to innovative methods, there are many options available for recycling WEEE. However, their performance on an industrial scale is difficult to assess due to their uncertain maturity in this context and the discretion of companies, which in most cases do not even disclose the metals they recycle.

After providing some terminology related to metals involved in the fight against climate change, this article describes their origin and their importance in our daily lives. Thus, in view of their availability in the environment, the extent of our needs for them, and the resulting geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges, various industrial recycling methods, both current and under development, for WEEE containing these metals are proposed.