Recycling of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipements (WEEE)

The high-tech products - LCD screens, smartphones, rechargeable batteries, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, printed circuit boards for washing machines, etc. - that accompany our daily lives require metals that are sometimes scarce in the earth's crust and/or whose production is controlled by a small 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 situations these metals are subject to, the European Union has turned to alternative supply routes, and in particular to 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 they constitute than in the geological mine.

In addition to its economic benefits, WEEE recycling can be an attractive resource, helping to secure metal supplies while preserving the environment for which it is a source of pollution. From tried-and-tested extractive metallurgy processes to innovative ones, there are many options available for recycling WEEE. Nevertheless, their performance on an industrial scale is difficult to assess, given their still uncertain maturity in this context, and the discretion of companies who, most of the time, do not even reveal the metals they recycle.

After giving some background on the terminology of the metals involved in the fight against climate change, this article describes where they come from and their importance in our daily lives. In view of their availability in the environment, the extent of our needs for them, and the geopolitical, economic and environmental stakes involved, the article proposes a number of current and developing industrial recycling routes for WEEE containing them.