Your E-waste Will be Our Treasure
Chris Rodinis
December 7th, 2012
blog.ewastewiz.com
http://www.recyclinginternational.com
Think about this: most of us pay for trash pick-up. Perhaps someday in the future we will get paid for the trash we produce. This would be more likely if products were manufactured in such a way that their “final destination” was considered an opportunity rather than a liability or a “leftover.”
The same principle can apply to urban mining according to the Electronics Recycling Asia, which recently held a conference in Taiwan to address these types of issues.
Rare earth metals are very much a big hidden part of the changing course of world history as it relates to the spread of modern technology. Besides electronic devices they have very important qualities that can impact our energy woes. For example, solar panels, wind turbines and the Prius automobile use large amounts of rare earth metals.
The ERC believes since Taiwan spent $267 million on exporting e-waste, that trend is pointing to a new opportunity for its citizens. Recycling technology is becoming more advanced and the Taiwan ERC believes processing the e-waste domestically will bring big revenue from the reclamation of precious and rare earth metals. By being a big producer of manufactured electronics on its homeland, it is uniquely positioned to take advantage of smarter recycling.
Importing E-waste for Green Profit
Here is an interesting fact: “Rare earth elements are neither rare, nor earth,” says Stephen Castor, recently retired research geologist with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. The name dates to the 18th and 19th centuries, when the elements were first isolated out of actually rare minerals. “Rare earth” stuck, but the elements themselves turned out to be pretty common, mixed in small concentrations into rock the world over.
A new company formed by investors and Google aims to mine these types of metals by landing on asteroids. They believe platinum is more plentiful there than on earth!
Just one large wind turbine uses up to a ton of this stuff. Each Pirus use about 8 pounds. Rare earths, with exotic names such as neodymium and terbium are used in very large volumes to make powerful embedded automobile battery chargers; another case of more demand than supply. You might not hear about rare earths too much, however, as green sustainability practices advance so will the technology that uses and recycles these elements.
Recycle the Most Make the Most
One theory proposed at the ERC conference is that the nation that advances most in recycling will be a winner. For the same reason companies such as Walmart and Dupont practice sustainability; which means when practiced scientifically, yields a better financial return for the company. So a when a nation like Taiwan becomes the number one sustainable recycling country in world, then that nation will achieve a higher GDP, more employment and a better quality of life for its citizens. This undoubtedly is a huge untapped market with great potential.
Here is a slogan for the winning nation. Your Trash is Our National Treasure! What if your number one import was E-waste! And then watch this industry outperform the mining industry!
The ERC believes a better, cheaper and more comprehensive approach will be necessary based on the current state of affairs. The goal is to be the top e-waste recycling country in world that achieves huge commercial success merely from being the best E-cycler of E-waste. Obviously no one is there yet. One country may be aiming in that direction.
For “responsible” recycling of electronics, please contact www.EwasteWiz.com
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