Page 28 - Bullion World Volume 4 Issue 2 February 2024

Bullion World | Volume 4 | Issue 2 | February 2024

"Revolutionizing E-Waste Management:

Unlocking the Untapped Value of

Discarded Electronics"

Mr Alex Barshai, CMO, emew Corporation

Imagine if i told you that we discard hundreds of
millions of dollars into landfills every year. Take a
moment to look around the room you're in right now –
chances are, you'll spot numerous electronic devices.
Our dependence on electronic devices is escalating,
and with rapid technological advancements, newer
models flood the market, leading to more discarded
devices than ever before.

Electronic devices consist of various base and
precious metals in their essential components.
These metals boast recyclable and reusable
properties. However, studies indicate that only 1
5-20% of electronic devices undergo recycling, leaving
a significant reservoir of valuable metals untapped.

E-Waste Recycling: Streamlining Physical
Sorting
E-waste recycling kicks off with device disassembly,
now enhanced by autonomous solutions like Apple's
robots. Physical processing uses shredding and
grinding to break components into manageable Mr Alex Barshai
fractions.

Methods for sorting metal and non-metal fractions
include:
• Shredding/Pulverization: Shapes metals and non-
metals for separation based on malleability and
gravity.
• Liquid-Based Sorting: Relies on specific gravity
differences but faces efficiency challenges.
• Electrostatic Separation: Separates materials by
conductivity, limited to small particle sizes.
• Magnetic Separation: Recovers ferrous metals
like copper before crushing.
Despite advancements, challenges persist—potential

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