7. Example of an electronic board recycling process

Currently, metals are recovered from electronic boards by pyrometallurgical means. The hydrometallurgical route has little place in recycling activities, even if it will develop in the years to come, because pyrometallurgy is energy-intensive and can only recover a few of dozens of metals. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the world's fastest-growing man-made waste, increasing from 33.8 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes between 2010 and 2018, including 1.5 million tonnes per year of electronic board waste