Most enterprises say they’ve purchased laptops because of the pandemic, and most plan to resell the devices when they’re no longer needed. | Alex Ruhl/Shutterstock
Nearly half of large organizations have created job positions related to managing scrap electronics generated during the pandemic, according to a survey.
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Figures show a modest increase in recovery and a decrease in generation were responsible for the recycling rate increase. | penofoto/Shutterstock
After declining for multiple years and then remaining flat, the U.S. electronics recycling rate inched back up in 2018, according to new figures from the U.S. EPA.
Research into a self-healable, recyclable PCB material was published in Science Advances. | totojang1977/Shutterstock
Researchers at the University of Colorado have developed a thin circuit board material, designed for wearable devices, that’s easy to recycle at its end of life.
Researchers found that mobile shredding of hard drives and other small electronics exposes workers to airborne and surface metals dust, as is the case with in-plant shredding. | Huguette Roe/Shutterstock
Researchers have discovered that shredding e-scrap materials in trucks may expose employees to as much toxic metal dust as in-plant shredding, but mobile workers may not be as protected as their plant-based counterparts.
Urban Mining Co. operates a magnet recovery facility just south of Austin. | Courtesy of Urban Mining Co.
Urban Mining Co., which uses an innovative process to recycle rare earth magnets, has received financial backing as part of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.
A number of research projects looking into metal recovery from circuit boards received funding recently. | Borhax/Shutterstock
Research focused on recovering precious metals from printed circuit boards received funding from the REMADE Institute. Meanwhile, the organization will provide up to $35 million for its next round of grants.
Researchers announced advancements in rare earth element recovery using a natural protein.| vilax/Shutterstock
Researchers developed a way to recycle e-scrap into a protective coating for steel. Meanwhile, a different team used a natural protein to extract rare earth elements from e-scrap.
Second quarter PC shipments this year rose 2.8% compared with the second quarter of 2019. | joyfull/Shutterstock
PC shipments were up almost 3% during the second quarter of the year compared with 2019. Analysis firm Gartner says the growth was driven by stores beginning to rebound from the first-quarter COVID-19 disruptions, as well as a significant increase in laptop sales.
The U.N. report also notes that the number of countries with national e-scrap policies, legislation or regulations increased from 61 in 2014 to 78 in 2019. | sasirin pamai/Shutterstock
A United Nations report estimates that 17.4% of e-scrap generated globally was recycled in 2019, well short of a goal of 30% by 2023.
The research project focused on recovering cobalt, tantalum, neodymium, tungsten and gallium, materials that were chosen due to their relative scarcity and cost. | Courtesy of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology.
A four-year research project has developed an automated system that uses lasers to identify and remove components while dismantling electronics.