A New Life for Old Metals

The current global economy is based on the extraction of natural resources for use in products that are often disposed of after a short time. Some of the metals used in these products are becoming scarcer and more expensive, and their extraction can be associated with negative social and environmental impacts. This has prompted significant efforts to recover and recycle metals from a wide variety of post-consumer products. With a particular focus on the challenging problem of electronic waste, this essay looks at the technical, social and economic factors shaping metal re-use and recycling. Electronic waste streams can be highly enriched in metals relative to primary mined sources, and they can be considered as the richest ore deposits in the world, often containing elements that are critical for green technology applications. Failure to recover these metals not only presents a significant missed economic opportunity, but also a potential environmental threat to air, water and soil. At present, standards and practices of metal recycling and recovery are highly variable around the world, and a more coordinated effort is needed to increase their efficiency. This will require new technological approaches, alongside economic incentives and regulatory oversight. With the right intention and approaches, there is a significant opportunity to recover valuable materials from metal-rich ‘urban mines’, building robust, resilient and efficient recycling systems that are needed for a truly circular economy.