Prospective LCA of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Thermo-Chemical Recycling by Pyrolysis

Abstract

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a particularly difficult waste to manage, characterized by hazardous and valuable chemicals. Emerging chemical recycling technologies are developed to unveil the possibility of sustainable treatment providing valuable resources from WEEE. This study develops a framework for prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) to explore a range of future scenarios in which the technology can be operated with low environmental impact. This is demonstrated in a case study focusing on plastics from WEEE, which are currently predominantly incinerated. The results reveal environmental benefits by WEEE treated via chemical recycling. In terms of climate change impacts, the best-case scenario of chemical recycling shows a reduction potential of 74 % compared to current treatment.