Latest news with #ewaste
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
How microwave tech can help reclaim critical materials from e-waste
When the computer or phone you're using right now blinks its last blink and you drop it off for recycling, do you know what happens? At the recycling center, powerful magnets will pull out steel. Spinning drums will toss aluminum into bins. Copper wires will get neatly bundled up for resale. But as the conveyor belt keeps rolling, tiny specks of valuable, lesser-known materials such as gallium, indium, and tantalum will be left behind. Those tiny specks are critical materials. They're essential for building new technology, and they're in short supply in the U.S. They could be reused, but there's a problem: Current recycling methods make recovering critical minerals from e-waste too costly or hazardous, so many recyclers simply skip them. Sadly, most of these hard-to-recycle materials end up buried in landfills or get mixed into products like cement. But it doesn't have to be this way. New technology is starting to make a difference. As demand for these critical materials keeps growing, discarded electronics can become valuable resources. My colleagues and I at West Virginia University are developing a new technology to change how we recycle. Instead of using toxic chemicals, our approach uses electricity, making it safer, cleaner, and more affordable to recover critical materials from electronics. How much e-waste are we talking about? Americans generated about 2.7 million tons of electronic waste in 2018, according to the latest federal data. Including uncounted electronics, the U.S. recycles only about 15% of its total e-waste, suggests a survey by the United Nations. Even worse, nearly half the electronics that people in Northern America sent to recycling centers end up shipped overseas. They often land in scrapyards, where workers may use dangerous methods like burning or leaching with harsh chemicals to pull out valuable metals. These practices can harm both the environment and workers' health. That's why the Environmental Protection Agency restricts these methods in the U.S. The tiny specks matter Critical minerals are in most of the technology around you. Every phone screen has a super-thin layer of a material called indium tin oxide. LEDs glow because of a metal called gallium. Tantalum stores energy in tiny electronic parts called capacitors. All of these materials are flagged as ' high risk ' on the U.S. Department of Energy's critical materials list. That means the U.S. relies heavily on these materials for important technologies, but their supply could easily be disrupted by conflicts, trade disputes, or shortages. Right now, just a few countries, including China, control most of the mining, processing, and recovery of these materials, making the U.S. vulnerable if those countries decide to limit exports or raise prices. These materials aren't cheap, either. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey reports that gallium was priced between $220 to $500 per kilogram in 2024. That's 50 times more expensive than common metals like copper, at $9.48 per kilogram in 2024. Revolutionizing recycling with microwaves At West Virginia University's Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, I and materials scientist Edward Sabolsky asked a simple question: Could we find a way to heat only specific parts of electronic waste to recover these valuable materials? If we could focus the heat on just the tiny specks of critical minerals, we might be able to recycle them easily and efficiently. The solution we found: microwaves. This equipment isn't very different from the microwave ovens you use to heat food at home, just bigger and more powerful. The basic science is the same: Electromagnetic waves cause electrons to oscillate, creating heat. In our approach, though, we're not heating water molecules like you do when cooking. Instead, we heat carbon, the black residue that collects around a candle flame or car tailpipe. Carbon heats up much faster in a microwave than water does. But don't try this at home; your kitchen microwave wasn't designed for such high temperatures. In our recycling method, we first shred the electronic waste, mix it with materials called fluxes that trap impurities, and then heat the mixture with microwaves. The microwaves rapidly heat the carbon that comes from the plastics and adhesives in the e-waste. This causes the carbon to react with the tiny specks of critical materials. The result: a tiny piece of pure, sponge-like metal about the size of a grain of rice. This metal can then be easily separated from leftover waste using filters. So far, in our laboratory tests, we have successfully recovered about 80% of the gallium, indium, and tantalum from e-waste, at purities between 95% and 97%. We have also demonstrated how it can be integrated with existing recycling processes. Why the Department of Defense is interested Our recycling technology got its start with help from a program funded by the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. Many important technologies, from radar systems to nuclear reactors, depend on these special materials. While the Department of Defense uses less of them than the commercial market, they are a national security concern. We're planning to launch larger pilot projects next to test the method on smartphone circuit boards, LED lighting parts, and server cards from data centers. These tests will help us fine-tune the design for a bigger system that can recycle tons of e-waste per hour instead of just a few pounds. That could mean producing up to 50 pounds of these critical minerals per hour from every ton of e-waste processed. If the technology works as expected, we believe this approach could help meet the nation's demand for critical materials. How to make e-waste recycling common One way e-waste recycling could become more common is if Congress held electronics companies responsible for recycling their products and recovering the critical materials inside. Closing loopholes that allow companies to ship e-waste overseas, instead of processing it safely in the U.S., could also help build a reserve of recovered critical minerals. But the biggest change may come from simple economics. Once technology becomes available to recover these tiny but valuable specks of critical materials quickly and affordably, the U.S. can transform domestic recycling and take a big step toward solving its shortage of critical materials.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Have an old phone that needs recycling? This weekend's event will help you for free.
A local high school is hosting an Electronics Drive this weekend. Vincent Massey Secondary School is hosting the drive on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Residents in the community who are looking to get rid of old devices such as computers, printers, old phones, among other devices, can bring them to the school to be properly recycled. 053125_recycling drive windsor Vincent Massey Secondary School is hosting an Electronics Drive on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. May 2025.(Photo Credit: Melanie Rousseau) Massey Green - the school's environmental club - is leading the event. Melanie Rousseau, a Physics Teacher at Vincent Massey, says a range of items can be donated. 'Anything that has those electronic components like computers, TV's, cellphones, also batteries, modems, routers, printers. So anything that you would use for your desktop let's say.' She says it's important to properly dispose of e-waste. 'If you throw a cellphone into the garbage, a computer into your garbage pail, all of these things contain chemicals that can then leach into the soil, into the water, and potentially contaiminate it. So we're talking heavy metals like kadmium, chromium, lead, and so on.' Rousseau says the items can be dropped off at the back of the school. 'We're going to have some students on Liberty Street and Norfolk to direct traffic. So if you pull up with your car, students are there to help you take out whether it's a TV, or an old computer, game consoles, whatever it is, we will be here.' Approximately 40 students will be helping throughout the Electronics Drive. Vincent Masse is located at 1800 Liberty Street in south Windsor. - by Meagan Delaurier, Dustin Coffman / AM800
CNET
12-05-2025
- CNET
How to Recycle Your Old Phones and Appliances for Free
If you've just upgraded a gadget, it might be tempting to shove the old one into a corner or toss it into a junk drawer. But what should you do once the e-waste starts piling up? Where do you go to dispose of your outdated tech? Just because you don't need your old phones and appliances doesn't mean you should condemn them to your in-home gadget graveyard -- or worse, the garbage. We all hang onto outdated tech for our own reasons, but there are also multiple ways to repurpose old devices for your smart home, using them as security cameras and more. Depending on the age and condition of your phone, you might even be able to get some cash back for it. Whatever the tech, when it's finally time to say goodbye, there's a right way to dispose of your old gadgets -- and there are a lot of wrong ways. We'll show you which is which. Before recycling your device, do this first If you're going to get rid of an old smartphone, make sure its data has been properly wiped before you sell or donate it. Back up anything you want off the device -- photos, videos, songs -- and then perform a factory reset. Where to recycle phones and appliances Here are the best places to recycle, repurpose or give new life to your old technology. Some locations will take not only small devices such as phones, but also large appliances such as washing machines and exercise bikes. If you succumbed to the siren song of the newest gadget, even if your current device wasn't on its last leg, we're not here to judge. Woot/Screenshot by CNET Best Buy Best Buy accepts a wide range of tech products and generally takes three items per house per day. Specifics may vary depending on where you live, but you can check with the state-specific recycling information dropdown menu on the site. Best Buy also offers a haul-away option for larger appliances such as TVs, dishwashers, freezers, microwaves, treadmills and exercise bikes. If you've ordered a new product, Best Buy will take away your old one for recycling. There's also a stand-alone haul-away option that costs $200. You can have two large items hauled away and an unlimited number of smaller items, with some exceptions. What you can recycle: Best Buy can take TVs, cables and chargers, media players, projectors, laptops, hard drives, webcams, cellphones, calculators, radios, landlines, headsets, vacuums, fans, ink and toner cartridges, alarm clocks, speaker systems, e-readers, video game consoles, memory cards, camcorders, digital cameras and GPS devices. Staples Office supply store Staples also offers free recycling options for old technology. Staples accepts up to seven items per customer per day. The company also has haul-away options, driver pickup and pallet pickup, and prepaid address labels available. What you can recycle: Staples can recycle accessories, adapters, cables, computers, cordless and mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, routers, tablets, webcams, ink and toner and other office tech items. If you don't want to recycle your tablet, there are places to donate technology. Amazon Home Depot Home Depot has an explainer on its website about how to safely dispose of dead batteries, old paint, electronics and other items, as well as tips for upcycling and repurposing. According to the services are drop-off only for residential customers. What you can recycle: According to Home Depot accepts household alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, rechargeable household batteries, cell phones and LED light bulbs. See the Lasso At-Home Recycling Machine in Action See the Lasso At-Home Recycling Machine in Action Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 6:35 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 6:35 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. See the Lasso At-Home Recycling Machine in Action US Environmental Protection Agency The EPA doesn't handle recycling and drop-offs the same way other businesses do but it does have a handy guide that makes it easier to get the information you need. The EPA's directory breaks down donation and recycling by electronic device, company name, logo and any additional details. What you can recycle: Again, the EPA's directory links you out to specific companies and their policies but according to the list you can recycle and donate mobile devices, PCs and TVs, imaging equipment and supplies. Electronics Take-Back Coalition Like the EPA, Electronics Take-Back Coalition makes it easy to find manufacturer take-back programs in the US. You can browse more than 25 companies' take-back program summaries, including Acer, Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Panasonic and Sony. The Electronics Take-back Coalition doesn't handle the recycling but it can direct you to the proper resource for your needs. What you can recycle: Depending on the company, you can find places to turn in cameras, computers, DVD and VHS players, iPads, iPhones, keyboards, mice, monitors, printers, smartphones and TVs. Your laptop can be recycled, donated or repurposed. We'll tell you where to look. Josh Goldman/CNET Smartphone Recycling Smartphone Recycling lets you print a free FedEx shipping label or request a recycling kit. Ship your old smartphone and you might even get paid, depending on the device's condition and age. Smartphone Recycling accepts devices in bulk, so you have to ship a minimum of 10. Depending on how long you've been hoarding phones, you might meet this quota on your own. If not, check with friends and family and make it a group effort. What you can recycle: Smartphone Recycling accepts Apple Watches, cell phones, iPads, iPhones, iPods, MacBooks, smartphones and tablets, and batteries attached or installed in devices. EcoATM EcoATM gives you a price estimate for your old phone that you can lock in on the mobile app using your old device's IMEI number. EcoATM will ask a few questions about your device (brand, model, memory, carrier and condition) before generating a quote. From there, you can visit one of the organization's kiosks at Dollar General, Kroger and Walmart. What you can recycle: EcoATM can help with Google Pixel phones, iPhones, LG phones and tablets, MP3 players, Motorola phones, Samsung smartphones and tablets, and ZTE phones. You can also recycle chargers and cellular accessories like cases, but you won't be paid for them. Recycling for Charities Recycling for Charities accepts technology donations but gives a percentage of the device's value to the charity of your choosing. Scroll through a directory of charities, select one, enter the required information and click donate. Charities receive anywhere between 25 cents and $100 from your items. What you can recycle: Digital cameras, iPhones, iPods, Palm Pilots, PDAs, wireless cell phones and corresponding batteries, and wireless pagers. Call2Recycle Call2Recycle is a battery-focused recycling program. The organization offers drop-off options at Home Depot, Lowe's and Staples, and shipment boxes for batteries and cell phones. Drop-offs are free but recycling kits and shipment boxes cost between $45 and $115, depending on the size. What you can recycle: Rechargeable batteries such as Lithium Ion, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel Zinc and Small Sealed Lead Acid weighing up to 11 pounds. Call2Recycle also accepts single-use batteries such as AA, AAA, 9V, C, D and button cell batteries weighing up to 11 pounds. The organization also accepts cell phones and their corresponding batteries regardless of size, make, model or age. For more information, check out five things you can recycle (and five things you can't), the right way to recycle plastic and the dos and don'ts of recycling metal cans.
