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

Tomasz Suponik; Paweł Friebe; Umut Kar; Dawid M. Franke; Paulina Gołuch

doi:10.3390/min15060653

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

Tomasz Suponik
, Paweł Friebe
, Umut Kar
, Dawid M. Franke
, Paulina Gołuch

Department of Geoengineering and Resource Exploitation (RG/RG4)

KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology
University of Nevada, Reno
Silesian University of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Article number	653
Journal	Minerals
Volume	15
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/min15060653
Publication status	Published - Jun 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

financial and technological aspects
metal recovery
recycling of waste electronic equipment (WEE)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Geology

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10.3390/min15060653

Cite this

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title = "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.",

keywords = "financial and technological aspects, metal recovery, recycling of waste electronic equipment (WEE)",

author = "Tomasz Suponik and Pawe{\l} Friebe and Umut Kar and \{M. Franke\}, Dawid and Paulina Go{\l}uch",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 by the authors.",

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month = jun,

doi = "10.3390/min15060653",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "Minerals",

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T1 - Financial and Technological Potential of Eco-Efficient Recycling of Waste Electronic Equipment

AU - Suponik, Tomasz

AU - Friebe, Paweł

AU - Kar, Umut

AU - M. Franke, Dawid

AU - Gołuch, Paulina

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - financial and technological aspects

KW - metal recovery

KW - recycling of waste electronic equipment (WEE)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008990635

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DO - 10.3390/min15060653

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105008990635

SN - 2075-163X

VL - 15

JO - Minerals

JF - Minerals

IS - 6

M1 - 653

ER -

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

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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