Electricity powers almost every aspect of our lives, at home, at work and at play. And everywhere there is electricity, there are plastics.
Plastics are seen to make progress possible, making electrical goods safer, lighter, more attractive, quieter, more environmentally friendly and more durable.
On the downside, however, plastic waste threatens human health, affects food and water safety, burdens economic activities, and contributes to climate change. Macro-plastics (pieces larger than 0.5 mm) made up more than 80% of global plastic leakage to the environment, polluting all eco-
systems.
Despite significant dedicated research on possibilities for reuse of the plastic waste, the results have so far been rather limited. It largely concerns how to recycle waste electrical/electronic products (e-waste) for helping to reduce the waste, conserve energy, and even create new products.
According to environmentalists, e-waste is a significant environmental threat that has been overlooked. Plastics account for approximately 20% of the 50 million tons of e-waste generated globally each year, and it is expected to grow >200% by 2050.
E-waste is today one of the world’s most significant sources of generated waste and only a fraction of it is currently recycled. The highest recycling rate is in Europe with ~43%, vs Asia-Pacific ~12 %, the Americas and Oceania ~10% percent, and Africa ~1%.
Basically, most types of electrical/electronic products can be recycled, but many types are difficult and expensive to process due to the complexity of a material variety, from metals and plastics to circuit boards and wires. Each of these components must be separated and processed for recycling, with processes requiring specialized knowledge and equipment. Additionally, components such as circuit boards, contain hazardous material e.g. lead, mercury, and cadmium, which need to be removed and disposed of safely.
But there are also the materials such as lithium, lithium-containing alloys, copper, and gold which are increasingly valuable in the market.
When succeeding to separate plastic components from the other materials, the plastic is then shredded into small pieces and melted down into pellets, which can be used to create new plastic products.
Also, a group of researchers in USA has recently discovered a chemical process that can convert some types of plastic waste into a valuable conducting polymer material, a material that can be used in new electrical and electronic products.
For information about the sources of this article, please contact the editor.
(The article is based on the information available on internet and edited by T.Sollie)