Challenges of recycling multiple scarce metals: The case of Swedish ELV and WEEE recycling
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2019

Cars and electronic products are characterised by high metal complexity. Meanwhile, recycling industries are not fully aligned with this complexity, leading to losses of unique scarce metal resources. By utilising the technological innovation system framework we identify, and discuss implications of, factors that impact on recycling of some precious (gold, palladium, silver) and minor metals (gallium, tantalum) in printed circuit boards (PCBs) present in Swedish end-of-life cars (ELVs) and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). We conclude that while precious metals from WEEE PCBs are currently recycled, recycling precious metals from ELV PCBs will likely remain a challenge in the near-term due to recycling being blocked by the material composition of ELV waste, design of waste legislation, and by accumulated capabilities and business models in current recycling industries. However, some of these blocking factors are open to direct influence from national policymakers or industry actors and may thus be alleviated more easily. In contrast, recycling minor metals from ELV or WEEE PCBs will likely remain challenging also in the long-term due to a larger set of blocking factors. Alleviating these may require a substantial portfolio of metal-specific policies at national and supra national levels supporting the build-up of entirely new recycling value chains.

End-of-life vehicle (ELV)

recycling

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

Car

scarce metal

Technological innovation system (TIS)

Författare

Magnus Andersson

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Maria Ljunggren Söderman

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Björn Sandén

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Resources Policy

0301-4207 (ISSN)

Vol. 63 101403

Mistra EXPLORE

Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning (Mistra) (Explore), 2016-04-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning (Mistra) (diarienrDIA2013/036), 2016-04-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Styrkeområden

Transport

Produktion

Energi

Ämneskategorier

Tvärvetenskapliga studier

Naturresursteknik

DOI

10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.101403

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2021-07-02