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Recycling |
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Solids - Assorted Others |
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(Current Recycling Technology and Processes) |
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Computer & Electronics Recycling Process (Page 1) |
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Go to Page 2 |
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Electronics is the direct result of modern day technology. Yet, it is also because of this fast improving technology that countless electronics become futile or out-of-date only after few years of usage. What do people do with these electronics has become a big issue in today’s society. Electronics cannot be simply recycled because it is made of multiple components that have different chemical and physical properties. In order to recycle electronics, separation of different components becomes an essential step of the process. For a detailed explanation of material separations, please visit our section Sorting and Separating with the Latest Technology. Electronics like computers, monitors, printers, scanners, cell phones, faxes, copiers, and telecommunication equipments all have to go through this separation process. For a complete list of today’s recyclable computer & electronic materials, please visit our section Current Recyclable Materials – Computer & Electronics.
Since computer recycling make up the largest single segment of this industry and vast number of recyclable electronics out there, we are going to focus on computer recycling and use it as a representation of the electronic recycling process. |
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Figure: Electronic recycling also includes televisions..
[Courtesy of: Tech Digest.] |
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Figure: Electronic recycling also includes laptop computers. Desktop computers make up the largest single segment in electronic recycling.
[Courtesy of: OS News.] |
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Computers must be handled carefully in the recycling process to avoid the loss of its potential reuse value. When a computer becomes non-reusable, it must be manually broken down into different recyclable components. Computers are generally made up of intermixed small packages of glass, metals, and plastics. Unfortunately there are very limited numbers of recycling companies today that can handle the special plastics, cathode ray, electronic boards found in a computer. As a result, to preserve the efficiency of the recyclers, large process facilities and high volume collections are needed to provide the necessary recycling volumes.
Following are the three levels that make up the computer recycling process:
Level 1:
Level one consists the collection of computer product on a local basis. This step primarily focuses on the reuse of the collected computer equipment. Separation of reusable and non-reusable equipments is conducted. Then, the reusables and non-reusables are further put into fitting categories such as monitors, CPUs, and loose electronic parts. While the reusable equipments are refurbished and resold or donated, the non-reusable equipments go to the second step of the recycling process.
Level 2:
The second level of the recycling process really is the tearing down of the non-reusable equipments. In this level, the metal, electronic, plastics components, and CRTs, are separated and shipped in bulk to the specialized refiners.
Level 3
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In this level, base material recapture is performed in specialized refineries. CRT and monitor glass will go through the glass recycling process, metals will go through the metal recycling process, plastics will go through the plastic recycling process, and electronic boards are sent to precious metal refiners that recapture the precious metals used in the original manufacturing processes. |
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QUICK LINKS (Specific Table of Contents):
Section I: Introduction
Section II: Present (YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN THIS SECTION)
Section III: Future |
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Links: |
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Home
Complete Table of Contents
Reference |
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