The ‘WEEE’ challenge: Is reuse the “new recycling”?

Shittu, Olanrewaju S.; Williams, I.D.; Shaw, Peter J.

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105817

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The treatment of e-waste mainly includes dismantling, crushing, sorting, smelting, and refining. , Generally, e-waste is roughly disassembled into several major components, magnetic metal, mixed metal, and nonmetal components, which are obtained through the mechanical crushing-sorting process. − Ultimately, these metals can be recovered through high-temperature smelting and energy-intensive refining processes. As a crucial step of e-waste recycling, dismantling can significantly increase metal recovery and minimize carbon emissions from subsequent metal smelting and refining. , The main parts in e-waste are disassembled and recycled, which can be called traditional crude disassembly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the Resources and Environmental Impacts from the Precise Disassembly of E-Waste in China

Tian

Gao

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Due to the dispersed distribution of e-waste and crude disassembly in traditional recycling, valuable metals are not traceable during their life cycle. Meanwhile, incomplete separation between metals and nonmetals reduces the economic value of disassembled parts, which leads to higher environmental costs for metal refining. Therefore, this study proposes a precise disassembly of e-waste to finely classify and recover metals in an environmentally friendly way. First, the macroscopic material flow of e-waste in China (source, flow, scrap, and recycling gap) was measured based on data collected by the government and 109 formal recycling enterprises. The sustainable recycling balance time points for e-waste recycling and scrap volumes were forecast by introducing an additional recycling efficiency. By 2030, the total scrap volume of e-waste is predicted to reach 133.06 million units. For precise disassembly, the main metals and their percentages from these typical e-wastes were measured based on material flow analysis combined with experimental methods. After precise disassembly, the proportion of reusable metals increases significantly. The CO 2 emission of precise disassembly with the smelting process was the lowest compared with crude disassembly with smelting and ore metallurgy. The greenhouse gas for secondary metals Fe, Cu, and Al was 830.32, 1151.62, and 716.6 kg CO 2 /t metal, respectively. The precise disassembly of e-waste is meaningful for building a future resource sustainable society and for carbon emission reduction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the Resources and Environmental Impacts from the Precise Disassembly of E-Waste in China

Tian

Gao

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Recycling leads to the recovery of raw materials, requiring energy and labour in the process, whereas product reuse retains the value created during manufacturing. Product reuse offers a way to prolong the usage cycle of devices with enduring reuse value, hence providing a practical option in the transition from a linear to a circular economy [7]. of textiles were diverted from incineration or landfill through donation to charity shops, saving local councils more than GBP 31 million in waste disposal costs [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reuse within the UK’s Charity Retail Sector: Steps towards Sustainability

Dolphin,

Shaw,

Williams

2023

Sustainability

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The social benefits of charity retail are widely recognized. However, data relating to the potential benefits to the sustainable use of end-of-use consumer goods are scarce. A general survey and an observational study at a typical charity shop aimed to quantify and evaluate reuse via charity retail outlets. We reveal valuable insights to stock data recording, procedures for receiving/dealing with donations (by category), use of standard approaches, quantification of key variables, and accuracy of previous survey data. Methods were successfully developed and trialled to (a) quantify diversion of end-of-use products from residual waste via reuse/recycling, and (b) estimate the cost of unsaleable donations. Future routine use of these methods for charity retail shops is recommended while acknowledging the limitations due to reporting capabilities. We identify four key groups of beneficiaries: (1) the parent charity, (2) charity shop workers (paid and unpaid), (3) donors, and (4) customers. Specific benefits, such as social interactions, are not exclusive to specific beneficiaries. Efforts to improve positive impacts should focus on securing appropriate donations, facilitating information capture, and promoting reuse. An important balance is required between maximising income and reuse, and retaining the social benefits that charities provide to communities.

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