The Hidden Costs of Smelting Electronics
Electronic waste, or e-waste, poses a growing challenge globally. One method stands out as we seek ways to minimise pollution and reclaim valuable rare earth elements: smelting.
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Electronic waste, or e-waste, poses a growing challenge globally. One method stands out as we seek ways to minimise pollution and reclaim valuable rare earth elements: smelting.
The ways in which electronic components and their metals are treated by human economies are similar to our understanding of the linear process of life: birth, life, and death. First, elements are mined to bring life to electronic devices. Then, when the outer shell no longer works, components end their existence as electronic waste (e-waste) in one of the world’s landfills.