1. THE PROBLEM
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is currently considered to be one of the fast-
est growing waste streams in the EU, growing at 3-5 % per year. Currently one third of WEEE in
the EU is being reported by compliance schemes as separately collected and appropriately man-
aged, with some managed wastes being treated outside the Member State Region. The remaining
WEEE is either handled correctly, but by unregistered streams, or is lost as a potential resource.
It is therefore vital that methods to collect and treat WEEE appropriately are developed to ensure
that these become the most attractive solution for handling WEEE.
THE AIM OF CRM RECOVERY
The project has been set up to demonstrate viable approaches that will achieve an increase of 5% for
the recovery of target materials from specific product categories by 2020 and 20% by 2030.
Target products categories are: Display, Consumer Electronics, Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) and Small Household Appliances.
The target materials are graphite, cobalt, antimony, tantalum, rare earths, silver, gold and platinum
group metals (PGMs), although the project will also investigate the opportunities for other materials.
THE PROCESS
Collection
CRM Recovery is commissioning trials for the collection, recovery and recycling of WEEE in four countries across Europe. The aim of the combined trials is to collect 100 tonnes of WEEE.
Re-use/recovery
Of the collected products, items suitable for re-use will be separated out, the remaining products will be disassembled to segregate target components for further reprocessing or component re-use. A
series of recovery trials will then be carried out with the aim of understanding the impact on recovery where products are pre-sorted and concentrated.
Project Evaluation
The results from the different trials will be used to assess the effectiveness of the different approaches and how these impact on the generation of value and the recovery of the target materials.
Policy and Infrastructure Recommendations
Using the trial data and evaluation, policy ideas and infrastructure recommendations will be developed to deliver the most effective resilience for EU businesses and the wider EU economy.
THE TRIALS
Collection
WEEE take-back in 5 Dixons stores in the Greater
Manchester Area
WEEE take-back in 4 British Heart Foundation Furniture
and Electrical Stores
Recovery
De-soldering of PCBs to extract CRM-rich
components
Components are then optically sorted and
analysed
Collection
Employees bringing domestic WEEE to business WEEE
collections
WEEE bins at recycling centres
WEEE collections at university halls of residence
WEEE collection hubs in primary schools
Recovery
Metal recovery by electrodeposition in an electrochemical
flow system
Collection
Consumer events held in public squares across Milan on
Sundays
Recovery
Batteries treated to recover graphite and cobalt
Remaining WEEE crushed and CRM recovered through
existing precious metal treatment facility
PROJECT PARTNERS SUPPORTED BY
www.criticalrawmaterialrecovery.eu @CRMRecovery
With the contribution
of the LIFE financial
instrument of the
European Community