Financial and Technological Potential of Eco-Efficient Recycling of Waste Electronic Equipment

Abstract

The paper presents the financial potential of recycling waste electronic equipment (WEE) in the form of printed circuit boards, hard drives, and lithium-ion batteries. Metal contents in selected types of WEE were presented, as well as their price and importance from an environmental, economic, and geopolitical perspective using indicators of relative supply risk and abiotic depletion potential (ADP). The potential benefits that recycling can bring to the company and the environment were presented. Furthermore, the mass balance and value of recovered metals were estimated for southern Poland, and potential possibilities for the management of the remaining separation products were presented. Finally, verified physical recycling methods for the presented WEE were described.