Analysis Tools for Sustainable Management of Cell Phone Waste for Metals Recovery

Abstract

A modern cell phone contains over 60 metals, combined physically or chemically and in some cases covered with various types of plastics, ceramics, etc. For recycling, each metal from the device needs to be analyzed individually. Some of these metals (copper, gold, silver, platinum, tin, yttrium, etc.) are valuable and their recovery is effective from the point of view of the economic benefits. Others (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, etc.) are toxic and environmentally important. Certain metals are valuable but also toxic at the same time. In this study were identified and discussed a series of analysis tools specific to sustainable management of WEEE. Those applicable to recycling of mobile phones waste, operation which has as main objective the recovery of valuable metals, are the following: quantitative evaluation; potential income from the sale of recovered metals; eco-efficiency of recycling; recovery yield of metal; impact on the environment.