{"id":12695,"date":"2021-06-22T11:53:57","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T10:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=12695"},"modified":"2021-06-22T11:53:57","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T10:53:57","slug":"the-barriers-obstructing-a-circular-economy-for-electronic-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/the-barriers-obstructing-a-circular-economy-for-electronic-waste\/12695\/","title":{"rendered":"The barriers obstructing a circular economy for electronic waste"},"content":{"rendered":"
The new model, created by researchers at the Hypothetical Materials Lab at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering<\/a>, expertly analyses difficulties in the recycling chain of electronics \u2013 one of the most considerable causes of pollution globally<\/a>, in an effort to establish a circular economy for electronic waste.<\/p>\n Electronic waste (e-waste) has risen exponentially over the last few decades, with technology becoming increasingly pervasive in everyday life, from televisions and computers to smaller goods such as hairdryers and charging banks; when their life cycle comes to an end, where do they go? Unlike certain plastic and metal items that are often easy to repurpose, recycling increasingly complex electronics poses a more formidable challenge, which makes achieving a circular economy \u2013 a sustainable economic system that ensures materials are recycled, and waste is minimised \u2013 arduous.<\/p>\n Furthermore, even when sustainable recycling practices and legislation are implemented, ensuring that they are fulfilled still remains a problem, with various companies worldwide utilising dishonest recycling methods, such as landfilling or exporting to foreign countries to maintain the fa\u00e7ade of a circular economy for electronic waste.<\/p>\n Christopher Wilmer, the William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow and associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering, who leads the Hypothetical Materials Lab, said: “Electronics have huge environmental impacts across their life cycle, from mining rare raw materials to the energy-intensive manufacturing, all the way to the complicated e-waste stream.<\/p>\n “A circular economy model is well-suited to mitigating each of these impacts, but less than 40 per cent of e-waste is currently estimated to be reused or recycled. If our technology is going to be sustainable, it’s important that we understand the barriers to e-waste recycling.”<\/p>\nThe current landscape of a circular economy for electronic waste<\/h3>\n