Since the inception of electronic waste recycling in the early 1990s, more and more devices are recycled worldwide due to increased awareness and investment. Electronic recycling occurs primarily in order to recover valuable rare-earth metals and precious metals, which are in short supply, as well as plastics and metals. These are resold or used in new devices after purification, in effect creating a circular economy.
The rare-earth elements (REEs) such as dysprosium (Dy) are vital to modern technologies and society and are amongst the most critical elements. REE recycling and reuse have been increasingly focused on in recent years. Currently, one of the essential resources into consideration for the secure supply of REEs is from electronic. E-waste contains a significant concentration of REEs, and thus is primary option for REE recycling now.
Recycling is considered environmentally friendly because it prevents hazardous waste, including heavy metals and carcinogens, from entering the atmosphere, landfill or waterways. Obsolete mobile phones and old electronics are valuable sources for secondary raw materials if recycled, otherwise these devices are a source of toxins and carcinogens. Many materials used in computer hardware can be recovered by recycling for use in future production. Reuse of these materials that are present in bulk in computers or other electronics can reduce the costs of constructing new systems.
