Electronics Recycling in the U.S.
Market Driven But Constrained
Metal Recycling Symposium
Convention Hall, ISS, Komaba Campus of Tokyo U.
Hosts: METI and JOGMEC
Co-Hosts: MIAM, Tohoku U.; RtoS Res. Inst.; ISS, Tokyo U.
October 28, 2009
David L. Wagger, Ph.D.
Director of Environmental Management
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Washington, DC, USA
Presentation Outline
• Overview of U.S. Electronics Recycling
• Electronics Sources and Values
• Electronics Recycling Technologies
• What’s Next for U.S. Electronics Recycling?
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Trade association of 1,550+ member companies with 2800+ facilities that
process, broker & consume scrap metals, paper, plastics, glass, textiles,
electronics & rubber
U.S. Scrap Industry (2008)
• Profit-driven $86 billion industry
• 85,000 employees
• 150 million tonnes (Mt) of scrap materials handled
– 85 Mt iron & steel
– 47 Mt paper and paperboard
–
5.5 Mt aluminum
–
3.2 Mt glass
–
2.0 Mt stainless steel
–
1.8 Mt copper
–
1.8 Mt electronics
–
1.2 Mt lead
–
1.0 Mt tires (2005)
–
0.63 Mt plastic (bottles only, 2007)
–
0.42 Mt zinc
Overview of U.S. Electronics Recycling
• Limited Federal regulation of recycled electronics
– General Federal environmental and health & safety (EH&S)
regulations still apply to electronics recycling.
• Regulation in some (19) states with different approaches
– General state EH&S regulations still apply to electronics recycling.
• Most reuse and many commodities markets overseas
• Complex electronics to be reused/recycled
• Net cost (negative value) to responsibly recycle?
• Result → Market Driven But Constrained E-Recycling
U.S. Electronics Recycling Industry
• ~2.8 billion lb (~1.3 Mt) recycled in 2005
– ~65 million units of computer equipment
– ~75% computer and consumer equipment
• ~1.3 billion lb (~0.6 Mt) of recyclable materials
• Quantities expected to double from 2005–2010
based on use and retirement rates
– ~1.8 Mt recycled in 2008 (best estimate)
Electronics Sources and Values
• Commercial, Industrial, Automotive, Defense
& Aerospace, Consumer Sectors
• Values from Recycling Electronics
– Complex “mixture” of materials
– Valuable materials to be recovered at low
concentrations
– Cost of necessary separations may exceed
recovered material values.
Components in Electronics (wt%)
DEVICE
VCRs
Ferrous
Non-Ferrous
PWB
Plastics
Wire
Other
45
9
21
23
2
0
1
0
17
82
0
0
Printers
41
5
7
46
1
0
Smoke Detectors
13
2
17
67
1
0
Keyboards
27
0
11
55
7
0
Cell Phones
8
0
40
45
0
7
Computer Monitors
3
1
12
18
4
62 (CRT)
Computer CPUs
68
5
16
8
3
0
Flat Panel Displays
25
9
10
24
4
28
Laptops
7
11
16
38
1
27
Computer Mice
5
0
11
52
32
0
Color TVs
6
0
10
22
2
60 (CRT)
11
0
6
72
2
10
Remote Controls
Electronic Toys
Source: Musson, J. et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 2721-2726
Composition of CPU and CRT
Material
CPU
Lead (Pb)
CRT Monitor
10.8%
Copper (Cu)
5.6%
6.1%
Steel (Fe+)
26.9%
9.1%
Aluminum (Al)
23.9%
Zinc (Zn)
3.7%
Precious metals
0.05%
Other metals
3.0%
HIPS
1.3%
ABS
15.2%
PPO
9.5%
2.6%
Glass
64.1%
Source: Kang, H.-Y.; Schoenung, J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 1672-1680
Metal Content of Desktop/CRT
Amount (g)
Value
Aluminum (Al)
680–960
$2.0–2.80
Antimony (Sb)
2.4–17.5
<$0.10
Arsenic (As)
0.06
-
Bismuth (Bi)
0.23
<$0.10
Cadmium (Cd)
3.28
<$0.10
Chromium (Cr)
0.05
<$0.10
1,370–2,640
$12–22
0.39–0.67
$12–20
Element
Copper (Cu)
Gold (Au)
Source: Williams, E. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2008, 42, 6446–6454
Metal Content of Desktop/CRT (2)
Amount (g)
Value
Indium (In)
0.04
<$0.1
Steel (Fe+)
7,300–8,880
$6.40–7.70
Lead (Pb)
620–1,373
$1.70–3.80
Nickel (Ni)
4.5–30
$0.10–0.90
Platinum (Pt)
0.066
$4.30
0.86–2.64
$0.5–1.5
Tin (Sn)
67
$1.40
Zinc (Zn)
21
<$0.1
10,070–13,904
$40.40–59.30
Element
Silver (Ag)
TOTAL
Source: Williams, E. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2008, 42, 6446–6454
Values and Recycling Complex
Electronics
• The effort needed to recycle a complex product can be
conceptually related to a product’s “material mixing”.
– “Material Mixing”:
H = 䋭㺌 ci log2(ci)
where ci = mass concentration of component i in a product
(Dahmus, J. B.; Gutowski, T. G.; Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41, 7543-7550)
• Products with low material values and high “material
mixing” are more likely to have lower recycling rates.
– This seems to hold for some recycled electronics.
Product Data Analysis
Product
Material Value
H
Recycling Rate
$10.95
1.30
96%
Automobile
$358.61
2.22
95%
Catalytic Converter
$107.54
0.699
95%
$34.69
1.67
90%
Automobile Battery
Refrigerator
Newspaper
$0.028
0.095
70%
Automobile Tire
$1.850
0.575
66%
Steel Can
$0.004
0.060
63%
Aluminum Can
$0.019
0.001
45%
HDPE Bottle (#2)
$0.008
0.163
27%
PET Bottle (#1)
$0.002
0.476
23%
Source: Dahmus, J. B.; Gutowski, T. G.; Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41, 7543-7550
Product Data Analysis (2)
Product
Glass Bottle
Material Value
Recycling Rate
0.003
20%
$17.69
2.36
11%
Television
$7.05
2.09
11%
Laptop
$2.79
2.89
11%
Aseptic Container
$0.005
1.10
6%
Cell Phone
$0.908
2.91
1%
$12.19
2.27
0%
Fax Machine
$6.43
2.09
0%
Coffee Maker
$0.535
1.93
0%
Cordless Screwdriver
$0.130
1.80
0%
Desktop Computer
Work Chair
$0.002
H
Source: Dahmus, J. B.; Gutowski, T. G.; Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41, 7543-7550
Electronics Recycling Processes
OEMs
Users
Leasing Cos.
TRIAGE
As-Is / Repair / Refurbish
RESALE
Scrap Equipment
Disassembly / Recover Parts
/ Separate Materials
RESALE
Materials
Shred, Grind, Separate, Refine, Smelt, Melt, Pelletize
Metals, Glass, Plastics
Materials Processors
Data Security
EDT Digital Shredder
Portable data sanitization
Courtesy of EDT
SCSI Array-100+ Drives
Courtesy of Lifespan
Refurbishment and Repair
Resale Parts & Equipment
In addition to recycling
and materials recovery,
reuse & services are a
significant portion of
what the electronics
recycling industry does.
Shredding Technology
Produces consistent and well
liberated materials at the highest
possible processing capacity.
Courtesy of SSI Shredding
Most common systems are designed
to process either 4-6 ton/hr or 10-12
ton/hr.
Courtesy of SSI Shredding
Vibrating Feeder & Screen
Vibrating Feeder receives shredded
electronic scrap from an inclined belt
conveyor and uses a vertical air column
to separate the shredded packing and
cardboard from the shredded electronic
scrap.
Courtesy of Kinergy Corp.
The heavy material falls vertically onto a
Vibrating Screen, which makes a 3/4" (1.9
cm) separation.
Courtesy of Kinergy Corp.
Sorting and IR Technology
MSS e-Sort
•Sorting device that is used in
several installations worldwide
•Sorts e-scrap after shredding and
ferrous/non-ferrous removal
•Positively identifies specific plastic
resins (ABS, HIPS, PC, etc.)
•3,000 kg/hr (after shredding)
Courtesy of MSS
Mechanical Processing for Pb Recovery
Processes glass to prepare for
lead recovery, often outside of
the U.S.
Courtesy of SRS
Hard Drive Shredders
Q55ED Hard Drive Shredder
Q55ED Hard Drive Output
Courtesy of SSI Shredding
Precious Metals Refining
Courtesy of Colt Refining
Thermal Processing Unit
Courtesy of Colt Refining
• Reduces Combustibles, Metallic Output
• Handles all types of materials (e.g.,
manufacturing and electronics scrap)
• 550 lb/hr (250 kg/hr)
• Environmental Controls – dry scrubber
Secondary Precious Metals Refining
• Samples batches of e-scrap
to determine concentrations
and values of precious
metals.
• Produces small volumes of
precious metals.
• Consolidates larger volumes
to ship to copper smelters
outside of the U.S.
What’s Next for
U.S. Electronics Recycling?
• Growing volumes of electronics reaching end-of-life
• Growing business interest in recycling electronics
• Increased use of electronics recycling standards and
certification?
– Voluntary or required by law?
• How to pay for responsible electronics recycling?
– Required by law or market approach?
ISRI’s Program for
Responsible Electronics Recycling
• Third-Party Certification of
Two Complementary Standards
Implemented Together
– Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices
• Consensus standard of electronics recycling stakeholders
• Voluntary principles and specific practices for electronics recyclers
– Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS)
• ISRI’s Quality, Environmental, and Health & Safety (QEH&S)
Management System Standard for the recycling industry
• Continual Improvement in QEH&S performance
Questions?
Thank you!
David L. Wagger, Ph.D.
Director of Environmental Management
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)
1-202-662-8533
DavidWagger@isri.org