Can Plastic from Electronic Devices Be Recycled? 

Since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, technology has completely transformed our lives, touching nearly everything we do. Electronic devices have become smaller and more powerful, not to mention very useful, creating personal experiences that we can use to our advantage.

Technological advancements have led to a regretful increase in the obsolescence rate of devices and the generation of electronic waste (e-waste). Australians are among the highest users of technology. E-waste is becoming an increasingly important issue on account of the increase in consumption of raw materials and contamination of the soil and groundwater.

Recycling electronic waste involves segregating materials, molecules, or chemical elements with the aim of selling them as raw materials for the manufacture of new products. Electrical goods can be recycled in full or in part. About half of the plastic waste from electronic devices isn’t adequately collected or sorted, which translates into the fact that it’s not recycled. In the words of Secretary-General António Guterres:” We are trashing our only home.” The plastic in electrical goods can be reused, and the process of removing them is environmentally safe and healthy. Should residual polymer waste result, it can be converted into fuel oil. 

Sorting And Recycling E-Plastics Is Inherently Complex and Difficult to Orchestrate, But It’s Doable 

As far as electronic waste is concerned, plastics take up a lot of space because of their low density and partition shapes. HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene), or PC (Polycarbonate) are thermoplastics, so they can be recycled for reprocessing, but to separate them by type is neither easy nor sustainable from an economic standpoint. Not all gadgets use just one plastic resin. To be more exact, they’re marked by nuance and complications. The rise of plastics usage in Australia is forcing companies to figure out how to deal with the problem, landfilling remaining one course of action, yet recycling the material merits discussion. 

In spite of several technological advancements, the recycling of e-plastics is challenging due to the presence of flame retardants, which can increase resistance to ignition, slow down combustion, and delay the spread of flames. The processing of BFRs (brominated flame retardants) or POPs (persistent organic pollutants) must be undertaken in an environmentally-sound manner. There’s an urgent need to develop innovative, alternate solutions for the recycling of plastic. Microfactories are a good example – different attributes of plastic waste are deployed, namely binding properties, binding content, chain structure, mechanical and thermal properties, etc. 

Recycling E-Plastic Is a Start, But It Doesn’t Get to The Root of The Problem 

The amount of electronic waste increasing annually is immense. According to Statista, more than 50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated globally each year, which is equal to 7 kilograms of electronic waste per capita. The issue is that most of the plastic used in electronic devices wasn’t designed for recovery or recycling. In other words, the recovery rate is low, so we can do a lot better. Despite growing awareness about the threats that plastics pose – modifying habits and natural processes, directly affecting food production capabilities, and reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change – little or no attention is given to the plastic that comes from electric goods. 

Consumers ought to demand that electronic devices use recycled plastic, thinking more about the components rather than taking into account appearance and design quality. Buying a gadget made with recycled plastic instead of brand-new materials is worthwhile, but many argue that it won’t solve tech’s waste problem. It’s imperative to reduce consumption and sell goods that last longer to have the most impact. The focus on post-consumer recycling shifts responsibility from corporations to consumers, which means that individual action must match the scale of the problem. More waste is generated during manufacturing processes, so it’s useful for brands to keep an open eye. 

So, How Do We Encourage People to Take Action and Take Their Recyclables to The Nearest Centre? 

With countless cell phones, tablets, and computers being manufactured annually, it’s critical to promote recycling among local communities to reduce environmental risks. People prefer the path of least resistance, meaning that if something feels too hard, they’ll feel they don’t have the time or energy to follow through. Scientific research is giving way to newer ways to reduce e-plastics. Collecting electronic items by means of recycling bins, take-back schemes, and on-demand curbside collection is the first step in solving the issue at hand. The mixed e-waste will be sent to specialised recyclers. The discarded materials can be used to manufacture items such as vineyard stakes. 

Most businesses rely on electronics to remain operational and relevant in their given markets. Given the ever-increasing pace of technological innovation, it’s necessary to be apprehensive about the way in which electric goods are discarded. One way to deal with electronic waste is to make informed purchases; instead of looking at the most expensive option, it’s recommended to do some research beforehand. Older doesn’t always mean obsolete, so it’s possible to repair or upgrade electronics – it’s not much of a difference in performance. When electronic devices become obsolete, recycling can prolong the life of the base components and materials. 

Wrapping It Up 

Technological change in our lives is a continuous thing, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that electronic devices have a shorter lifespan. Most gadgets stop working in 3 to 4 years. Waste from electrical goods steadily increases over time, mainly driven by the increase in technological product consumption. The question now is: Where do all those electronics end up? Landfills see the majority of discarded gadgets because e-waste plastic recycling is difficult. The final disposal of plastics from electronic devices reaches similar levels to plastics from urban waste, roughly 2 tons per year. Therefore, manufacturing companies should use at least 25% recycled material. 

It’s just the beginning of the conversation, so it’s unreasonable to expect immediate results. As mentioned earlier, tech companies shouldn’t design products to become obsolete because it’s not sustainable. Consumers would rather hold onto their old products than to buy something new in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.