The majority of Metech Recycling's scrap comes from business customers, such as telecom companies. Andrew McManus (left) from the company shows some circuit boards from a cell phone base station, like the one on the floor. When cell phone companies switch from 3G to 4G, for example, it means a refresh of a lot of electronics. Circuit boards contain a combination of valuable metals, such as copper and tin, that can be separated at special metal smelters outside the U.S. In general, household e-waste is less valuable because goods such as TVs don't have a lot of valuable materials and are harder to handle.
'Demanufacturing' e-waste for profit (photos)
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Sounds fine, but one question ....
When a company does this, is it really a case of the valuable materials they recover (such as gold circuit traces recovered from the circuit boards and CPUs) adding up to enough resale value to make the whole thing worth doing? (EG. 95% or more of the material is just waste they're forced to recycle at no real profit, or even at a financial loss, just so they can legally be allowed to mine the "good stuff" out for the real profits?)
Whether or not it works this way, I guess it's basically a "win, win" scenario for everyone, since it gets waste electronics out of landfills. But if we reach a point where newer electronic devices are constructed without the need for the precious metals in them, what then? Do these places just shut their doors and stop recycling?
Whether or not it works this way, I guess it's basically a "win, win" scenario for everyone, since it gets waste electronics out of landfills. But if we reach a point where newer electronic devices are constructed without the need for the precious metals in them, what then? Do these places just shut their doors and stop recycling?
Posted by kingtj
16th May 2011