DOCSLIB.ORG

Urban Mining (English): Fact Sheet Gold

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Urban Mining (English): Fact Sheet Gold Substance dossier for the recovery of gold from selected waste compared to primary production Gold Au 7. Society The global extraction of gold by independ- are often associated with a risk in under- sustainable mining can generate added value 1. The importance of gold ent miners and small-scale mining companies ground gold mining and lead to thousands of through the issuing of labels, which in turn Gold (Au) has been valued as a precious A common unit of measurement in the gold It is estimated that there is more gold in (artisanal gold mining) employs 10-20 million deaths every year. Internationally accepted can be used for marketing. material for thousands of years and today trade are troy ounces (oz tr) where a troy circulation than can be currently mined people and provides a livelihood for over 100 minimum standards are widely implemented This is the approach of the ‘Better Gold it used mainly as a form of investment: ounce in SI units corresponds to 31.1035 g. from known reserves of geological deposits million people.2,22 In 2012, the gold mining mainly to avoid damage to company reputa- Initiative’25, which Switzerland launched Financial investors are responsible for 30 % Pure gold (24 carat) has a density of (54 000 t).32 industry (excluding the artisanal gold min- tion and strikes. in 2013. It should facilitate better working to 40 % of the demand, mostly in form of 19.32 g / m3 and is obtained by mining from Gold contents in mined ores have ing) employed around 528 000 people with Complex company groups with local sub- conditions for artisanal gold miner coopera- gold bars and coins as well as medals and auriferous rock (gold ore or mountain gold) decreased from more than 50 g / t in 1850 an average per capita value generation of sidiaries and non-transparent trade chains tives and make ‘Ethical gold’ attractive to the exchange traded funds (ETFs) (Fig. 1).38 or won as free gold from sedimentary depos- to now under 2 g / t due to the increas- 124 oz t (3.875 kg; approx. CHF 195 000 ).35 may unintentionally acquire gold from consumer market, although the consumers The production of jewellery (as a pre- its (placer gold and alluvial gold).20 ing depletion of highly enriched deposits In comparison, in 2012 the annual starting unregulated mining or even conflict regions. would have to purchase the fair gold at a cious metal, gold maintains its luster and is By 2011 an estimated total 171 300 t (Fig. 2).18 This means that the mining waste salary of a gold miner in South Africa was Thus a significant portion of the mined higher price. soft, flexible and pliable) makes up about of gold14,31 with a value of over CHF 4 800 generated during the production process has about CHF 5 900 4 and the South African and traded gold is associated with serious By this, the Better Gold Initiative also 40 % of the demand. National banks require billion (2004-2014: CHF 877 / oz tr)13 were also been on the rise, although technological average was around CHF 14 50033. consequences for the environment and the contributes to the implementation of the about 10 % , industry as well.21 obtained from deposits. innovations in this area have contributed to Serious long-term environmental damage workers' health. ‘OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Re- increased efficiency (Fig. 2). and health risks of artisanal gold mining are Switzerland is the most important gold sponsible Supply Chains of Minerals from often the result of the use of mercury. But hub in the world. The risk to reputations Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas’. other Dentistry Gold production [t /a] also with respect to industrial gold mining, associated with gold mining due to possible In addition to the OECD Gold Supple- Electronics 3 2 Waste rock [Mio. t /a] [g Au / t rock] Ore grade the damage and the consequences of ac- human rights violations and environmental ment, there are different sets of rules (RJC 600 60 cidents in many cases do not just affect the pollution is well-known in Switzerland. To Chain of Custody certification, LBMA Coins, 12 medals environment, but also the local population.2, 9 counteract it, Switzerland actively engages Responsible Gold Guidance and Section 500 50 Compared to artisanal gold mining, in improving the working conditions of 1502 of the Dodd Frank Act) that deal with 9 400 40 the occupational safety and working condi- artisanal gold mining. This goal is pursued the gold trade. However, at the international 2 1 tions of miners in large mining companies by the certification of trade chains, as well as level, there is for example currently no bind- 2760 t World production 2011 300 30 are generally much better. Nevertheless, for by the development and implementation of ing obligation for the observance of human example lung diseases caused by the inhala- international tools and standards to promote rights in gold mining.9 200 20 tion of dust when mining quartz-rich rocks good corporate governance.1, 5 1 7 100 10 (silicosis) without sufficient health protection, The certification of gold from fair and Jewellery 0 0 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Fig. 1 World production and uses (as a percentage) of gold in 2012 (38). Fig. 2 Production, mining waste and ore content of gold, 1850-2005 (18). 1631 8. Resource management: The overall situation at a glance Open issues: 2. Understanding the system 2299 The high value of gold for example pro- in the development of recovery technologies 1. How high are the concentrations and Although some of the naturally occurring motes jewellery being almost entirely recy- for recycling gold from MSWI and electronic mass flows of gold in electronic waste; gold deposits in Switzerland have technically cled, since it can be easily collected through waste. The efforts of the Centre for Sustain- how much of this is recyclable? exploitable concentrations of gold, for most tonnes per year buyback mechanisms and requires a low level able Waste and Resource Management ZAR 2. Is the collection and recycling technology the total content of recoverable gold is rather of refining. have shown that gold from individual slag for electrical and electronic equipment small and therefore the deposits are interna- By contrast, the rate of recovery of gold fractions (e.g. the non-ferrous metal fraction technically mature enough? tionally insignificant.15 from waste is rather low. Gold is often only <5 mm) can be recovered profitably. The re- 3. How can the dry slag discharge be pro- By contrast, Switzerland is the most Banks used in individual product components; the cycling of gold from electrical and electronic moted for other incineration facilites? important international gold hub; unlike the Trade typically complex material composition and equipment can als be effectuated profitably 4. How can it be guaranteed that the re- transit trade, in terms of quantity over two- Production Products temporal variability of the amount of gold in Switzerland. cycling of exported electronic waste has thirds of the world's annual gold production Jewellery in the waste require greater recovery efforts Due to the legal regulations, the waste high environmental and social standards? physically passes through Switzerland. For and costs. material is collected by private organisa- Current Assessment 3: high example, according to the U.S. Geological Top priority 2: average The current high price of gold, around tions. The development of better recycling Secondary priority 1: low Survey USGS, in 2012, 2 690 t of gold were 13 0: not relevant Environment CHF 37 000 / kg (January-March 2014) is technologies in this area could be financed Environment extracted worldwide, the World Gold Coun- 1.3 32,36 a special incentive at private-sector level, to from the prepaid disposal fees for electrical 3 cil specifies it as being 2 827 t. Whereas, recover gold from waste, provided that the and electronic waste. in 2012, around 2 299 t were imported by Waste 2 T Landfills waste contains a certain concentration and echnology Switzerland, mainly for refining, 1 631 t were management 7, 8 28 quantity of gold (Fig. 4). 1 exported. Since 2014, Swiss foreign trade 71 In terms of environmental impact, Resource statistics show the flow of the gold trade bro- u Fig. 8 Evaluation of the Urban Mining Potential of gold management 6 energy consumption and greenhouse gas (MSWI slag and waste electrical equipment) based on a ken down by country (Fig. 3) ; however, they emissions, the primary production (min- qualitative expert assessment. do not specify the level of stock.5 ing) of gold has far worse impacts than Criteria: Environment: Informal mining bad, mining compa- The recycling of gold plays an important Fig. 3 Provisional material flow diagram (also lists the trading of auriferous waste) for Switzerland with data from customs nies better; Technology: Recovery from slag and electrical statistics (7,8,17): The mass flows and stocks within Switzerland cannot currently be quantified. scrap; :does not need measures, it runs by itself; the secondary production by recycling and Economy Society role in Switzerland, and, at an estimated recovery from dry MSWI slag and WEEE Society: Informal mining bad, mining companies better; Re- 50 %, the gold processed in Swiss refineries tronic equipment). The variable gold content studies are needed for modelling the flows of source management: Preparation of certificates for 'clean' Economy (Fig. 5).34 This justifies the public investment gold, potential in slag still exists. is most likely to contain a significant propor- in various products as well as the heterogene- gold.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Design for Urban Mining – Sustainable Construction Planning
    Homepage Contact Sitemap Webmail Telephone / e-mail Home page > Output - Ausgabe 18/2017 > Design for urban mining – sustainable construction planning Design for urban mining – sustainable construction planning by Prof. Annette Hillebrandt hillebrandt{at}uni-wuppertal.de Global raw material deposits have shifted their location. Many raw materials are no longer at their original source: they are bound up in new, anthropogenic structures, above all buildings. The paradigmatic change affecting the construction industry in the anthropocene – the epoch in which human impact on the earth’s biology, geology and atmosphere has become paramount – entails the separation of construction processes and materials, and high-quality recycling of the latter. Encapsulated in the concept of ‘urban mining’, this involves circular planning and costing over the entire life cycle of a building, including its ecological impact. Conversely, it signifies a departure from linear economic thinking, with its one-way logic of expansion, one-sided view of investment costs, and ultimate landfill disposal scenarios. Future buildings are being planned not for waste, but as interim deposits (‘mines’) of raw materials. In this scenario, suspect materials are entirely excluded, and the industry is committed to a responsible product policy in which the principal stands warranty for the building, the manufacturer for its products and materials, and planners and builders for its construction and future deconstruction – a major reform Prof. Annette Hillebrandt program in line with the sustainable development goals (SDG) of the United Nations as well as federal German sustainability strategy. Published 45 years ago, Donella and Dennis Meadows’ The Limits to Growth1, subtitled a “Report for the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind,” predicted the dwindling resources and environmental pollution that are today an integral part of the world we live in.
    [Show full text]
  • An Integrated Review of Concepts and Initiatives for Mining the Technosphere: Towards a New Taxonomy
    An integrated review of concepts and initiatives for mining the technosphere: towards a new taxonomy Nils Johansson, Joakim Krook, Mats Eklund and Björn Berglund Linköping University Post Print N.B.: When citing this work, cite the original article. Original Publication: Nils Johansson, Joakim Krook, Mats Eklund and Björn Berglund, An integrated review of concepts and initiatives for mining the technosphere:towards a new taxonomy, 2013, Journal of Cleaner Production, (55), 35-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.04.007 Copyright: Elsevier http://www.elsevier.com/ Postprint available at: Linköping University Electronic Press http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-77301 10 439 words An Integrated Review of Concepts and Initiatives for Mining the Technosphere: Towards a New Taxonomy Nils Johanssona*; Joakim Krooka, Mats Eklunda, and Björn Berglunda. *Corresponding author: Department of Management and Engineering, Environmental Technology and Management Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden. [email protected], +46(0)13 285629. a Department of Management and Engineering, Environmental Technology and Management Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. 1 10 439 words Abstract Stocks of finite resources in the technosphere continue to grow due to human activity, at the expense of decreasing in-ground deposits. Human activity, in other words, is changing the prerequisites for mineral extraction. For that reason, mining will probably have to adapt accordingly, with more emphasis on exploitation of previously extracted minerals. This study reviews the prevailing concepts for mining the technosphere as well as actual efforts to do so, the objectives for mining, the scale of the initiatives, and what makes them different from other reuse and recycling concepts.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Reclamation for Direct Re-Use in Urban and Industrial Applications in South Africa and Its Projected Impact Upon Water Demand
    Water Reclamation for Direct Re-Use in Urban and Industrial Applications in South Africa and its Projected Impact Upon Water Demand A Grobicki • B Cohen Report to the Water Research Commission by Abbott Grobicki (Pty) Ltd r WRC Report No KV118/99 -^r -^r -^r *^^ Disclaimer This report emanates from a project financed by ihe Waler Research Commission (WRC) and is approved for publication. Approval docs not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC or the members of the project steering committee, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation tor use. Vrywaring Hierdie verslag spruit voort uit 'n navorsingsprojek wat deur die Waternavorsingskommissic (WNK) gefinansier is en goedgekeur is vir publikasie. Goedkeuring beteken nie noodwendig dat die inhoud die sicning en beleid van die WNK of die lede van die projek-loodskomitee weerspieel nie, of dat melding van handelsname of -ware deur die WNK vir gebruik goedgekeur n( aanbeveel word nie. WATER RECLAMATION FOR DIRECT RE-USE IN URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND ITS PROJECTED IMPACT UPON WATER DEMAND A STUDY FOR THE WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION BY DR ANIA GROBICKI AND DR BRETT COHEN Abbott Grobicki (Pty) Ltd Kimberley House 34 Shortmarket Street 8001 Cape Town Tel: (021) 424-3892, Fax: (021) 424-3895 email: [email protected] OCTOBER 1998 ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Water reclamation, or the direct use of treated sewage effluent to replace a proportion of the fresh water demand, is regarded as a non-conventional approach to water management. However, water reclamation is becoming increasingly common internationally, especially in countries which have water shortages similar to that in South Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Mining a Contribution to Reindustrializing the City
    MATERIAL FLOW ANALYSIS Urban Mining A Contribution to Reindustrializing the City Paul H. Brunner Today’s most advanced societies are service- the term to describe exploitation of resources oriented economies. The main resources of such from landfills, others apply it to traditional re- societies are knowledge and information created cycling schemes of waste materials, such as con- by and embedded in people and institutions. struction debris, scrap iron, plastics, or glass. The Classical resources, such as materials, energy, purpose of the present column is to introduce and land, are of less value for service-oriented a more comprehensive interpretation of urban societies. mining. I incorpo- Nevertheless, even rate two additional if one acknowledges the Megacities can produce sufficient aspects—creating a primary role of intel- amounts of secondary resources for goal-oriented knowl- lectual resources, mate- large-scale production of raw ma- edge base by preserving rial resources are still information from the backbone of all soci- terials by urban mining, and cities production through eties. We cannot pursue are always in need of energy. Thus, recovery, and locating our daily activities with- combining recycling plants for metals recycling facilities out the provision of ce- within service-oriented ment, steel, aluminum, such as iron, aluminum, and cop- cities—to develop the cellulose, polyethylene, per in cities with utilization of waste concept into a new linear alky benzene sul- energy from such plants to fuel the strategy to increase the fonates, and many other sustainability of the materials. Given the city (heating and cooling, electricity) urban metabolism. high volatility of re- seems an attractive option for im- First, to facilitate source prices and the proving the sustainability of cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Green Solvents in Urban Mining Isabelle Billard
    Green solvents in urban mining Isabelle Billard To cite this version: Isabelle Billard. Green solvents in urban mining. Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry, Elsevier, 2019, 2018-12-11, 18, pp.37-41. 10.1016/j.cogsc.2018.11.013. hal-02271235 HAL Id: hal-02271235 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02271235 Submitted on 26 Aug 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Green solvents in urban mining Isabelle Billard*a aUniv Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LEPMI, 1130 rue de la Piscine, 38402, Saint Martin d’Hères, France; [email protected] Abstract. General considerations about urban mining and green solvents are first briefly discussed. Then, the use of green solvents in the recycling processes of technological objects present in urban mines is reviewed, focusing on metal recovery. Keywords : urban mining, green chemistry, metal recovery, wastes Scope After promoting urban mining and defining green solvents, this paper, which is by no means exhaustive, reviews academic works. It is sorted by object types, chosen as iconic examples to highlight achievements and unresolved questions, because totally green processes are hardly found at the present stage.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Waste Recycling As Part of Circular Economy
    sustainability Article Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Waste Recycling as Part of Circular Economy. The Case of Cuenca (Ecuador) Damián Burneo 1, José M. Cansino 1,2,* and Rocio Yñiguez 1 1 Faculty of Economic and Business/Department of Economic Analysis and Political Economy, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Ramón y Cajal 1, 41.005 Sevilla, Spain; [email protected] (D.B.); [email protected] (R.Y.) 2 Faculty of Business and Administration, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Avda. Pedro de Valdivia, 425, Providencia, Santiago 7500912, Chile * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-954557528 Received: 4 March 2020; Accepted: 15 April 2020; Published: 22 April 2020 Abstract: Urban mining by recyclers represents a positive environmental impact as well as being part of the waste management chain. This paper analyzes the contribution of waste pickers in the city of Cuenca in Ecuador and the conditions of their activity. This research has a two-fold objective. First, it calculates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the substitution of virgin raw material in the production process by using recycled urban waste. The second objective is to conduct a socioeconomic analysis of the workers involved in the urban waste sector. Cuenca (Ecuador) is the main city used for this case study, thanks to the accessibility of a rich database built from the survey conducted by the NGO Alliance for Development. The information contained in this survey facilitates the identification of potential consumers of the waste industry. This study uses Clean Development Mechanism methodology. Finally, this work proposes a theoretical model for solid waste management, applied to the city, following the principles of the circular economy.
    [Show full text]
  • A Circular Approach to the E-Waste Valorization Through Urban Mining in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
    Journal of Cleaner Production 261 (2020) 120990 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Cleaner Production journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro A circular approach to the e-waste valorization through urban mining in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Marianna Ottoni a, d, Pablo Dias b, c, Lúcia Helena Xavier d, a Polytechnic School (Escola Politecnica), Department of Water Resources and Environment, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, Cidade Universitaria, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-909, Brazil b Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia c Programa de Pos-Graduaç ao~ em Engenharia de Minas, Metalúrgica e de Materiais (PPGE3M), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91509-900, Brazil d Center for Mineral Technology (CETEM / MCTIC), Av. Pedro Calmon, 900, Cidade Universitaria, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-908, Brazil article info abstract Article history: Electronic waste (e-waste or WEEE) is one of the most critical categories regarding the decision-making Received 1 October 2019 for waste management. Brazil is the second major e-waste producer in Americas, after USA, with 1.5 Received in revised form million tones generated annually. However, the absence of adequate system for e-waste reverse logistics 4 March 2020 are a reality in most of the Brazilian cities. Concerning this hypothesis, we proposed a scenario analysis to Accepted 6 March 2020 support decision-making in e-waste management. This study analyzed the e-waste amount generation, Available online 9 March 2020 the location of the recycling companies of this segment and the collection routes in the metropolitan Handling editor: Bin Chen region of Rio de Janeiro (MRRJ).
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Mining As a Sustainable Strategy for the Management of Residual Solid Waste
    15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology Rhodes, Greece, 31 August to 2 September 2017 Urban mining as a sustainable strategy for the management of residual solid waste V. Belgiorno, A. Cesaro SEED - Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II – Fisciano (SA), Italy. Corresponding author e-mail address: [email protected] Keywords: recovery, resource, solid waste The production of waste represents a pressing issue and its sustainable management is being regarded as one of the greatest challenges of this century. Over the years waste handling strategies have moved from landfilling, often performed under uncontrolled conditions, to recycling processes, in order to reduce the environmental footprint of residue disposal. Although more recently the need to prevent waste production has been pointed out, the relation between consumption patterns and waste production limits the reduction of both amount and hazardousness of waste. This issue is even more serious as it comes along with the depletion of resources aiming at the production of those goods destined to become waste. The level of waste generation is indeed directly related to economic development, rate of industrialization, and public practices (Fazeli et al., 2016). Therefore the decoupling of prosperity from resource consumption (Sauvè et al., 2016) has been identified as a suitable strategy to promote the decrease of both resource consumption and waste generation, addressing a circular economy approach over the traditional linear one (Preston, 2012; Bonciu, 2014; Ghisellini et al., 2016). In a circular economy, the production of goods is preferably pursued by either the use of by-products or waste recycling rather than by virgin resource consumption, so as to close the loop of material streams (Geng and Doberstein, 2008; Souza, 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Using Urban Mining Techniques to Capture Phosphorus from Agricultural Run-Off
    Using urban mining techniques to capture phosphorus from agricultural run-off Will this be possible in an ecologically and economically sustainable manner? Verschoor en Omen, 2014 Bart Hoekstra 10645705 Renee Snoek 10761330 Stefan van der Wal 10537252 Course: Interdisciplinary Project Teacher: Anneke ter Schure Expert: Andres Verzijl Word count: Abstract Phosphorus is essential to life on Earth and frequently limits the productivity of ecosystems. Nowadays, a substantial portion of the global human population relies on finite phosphate rock resources used for chemical fertilizer production. In order to meet the growing food demand, agricultural land per unit area required to achieve maximum efficiency. Poor management of these resources and continued efforts to enhance soil fertility have stimulated interest in phosphorus recycling and recovery. In the Netherlands agricultural land belongs to the most intensively used land in Europe. Recent studies, however, show the harmful effects of these fertilizers. This research report aims to address useful ‘urban mining’ techniques for recapturing phosphorus. Content Introduction Page 3 Research question Page 3 Methods Page 4 Theoretical background Page 4 Analysis of the methods Page 8 Discussion Page 9 Conclusion Page 9 Literature Page 10 Data Management Table Page 11 2 Introduction Agricultural land in The Netherlands belongs to the most intensively used land in Europe. One of the factors enabling such intensive use, is the use of (artificial) fertilisers. Application of these fertilisers provides plants with necessary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium), but is not without negative consequences: agricultural run-off from fields often causes eutrophication in both adjacent surface water and distant estuaries. Another issue is the limited supply of these nutrients which are so essential to our welfare.
    [Show full text]
  • Fact Sheet Stainless Steel
    3. Primary/secondary raw materials Further recovery of stainless steel takes place collection and recycling rates within the five use Although in Switzerland chromite is found on from the processing of dry discharged slag. With a categories.30 Gas and steam turbines also have the southern side of the Alps and nickel in many Al- 0.5% stainless steel fraction from raw slag, this would major potential for recovering stainless steel. pine valleys32, extraction is currently not worthwhile, correspond to 3’000-4’000 t/year for all of Switzer- due to economic reasons. As no high-quality stainless land. This in turn leads to smaller landfill sites. steel is produced in Switzerland, the recovery from Fig. 5 shows the annual quantities secondary raw materials remains the largest source of goods imported into Switzerland for of stainless steel. the five use categories as well as waste Fig. 4 shows the development of stocks in land- quantities and their respective stainless fills2,4,5,13 and use14,28,29,40 in Switzerland. In 2010, the steel contents. Not shown is the amount of quantity of stainless steel in landfills was half that in waste from the building and infrastructure vehicles (transport stock). By 2030, all in-use stocks sector, which is estimated at 13 million are expected to be in a steady state.28 tons, and its stainless steel content, which is approximately 0.04%.30,pers. communication, K. Kohler, R-Suisse, 21.08.2017 Due to the very high stainless steel content in metal goods, this use category represents the largest potential source of secondary stainless steel in Switzerland, followed by industrial machinery.
    [Show full text]
  • National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship: Accomplishments Report
    National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship: Accomplishments Report January 2017 Co-Chairs: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. General Services Administration U.S. Department of Energy National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship Accomplishments Report Introduction Electronic devices are an integral part of our daily lives. While these products enhance our lives, they may also have significant human health and environmental impacts during the product’s life cycle. Many of these impacts can be addressed through more sustainable and responsible management in both the public and private sectors. In 2014, over 720 million new electronic products were sold and 3.36 million tons of used electronics were ready for end-of-life management in the United States.i With the continued increase in number and type of electronic product, these numbers are expected to increase each year. In order to lead and encourage responsible global life cycle management, the U.S. government has prioritized electronics stewardship by acknowledging both the opportunities and issues these technologies present. In 2010, the federal community worked together as an interagency Task Force to “prepare a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship.” In July 2011, the Task Force released the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship (NSES), establishing a unified framework to evolve electronics stewardship throughout the products’ life cycle. The convening of the Task Force and the development of the NSES brought together 16 federal agencies to focus on electronics stewardship and to define a pathway for action to demonstrate federal leadership on this issue. The Task Force identified and implemented 46 actions over the course of the last six years.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Urban Mining of Critical Elements from Magnet and Electronic Wastes
    Ames Laboratory Accepted Manuscripts Ames Laboratory 11-12-2019 Sustainable Urban Mining of Critical Elements from Magnet and Electronic Wastes Denis Prodius Ames Laboratory, [email protected] Kinjal Gandha Ames Laboratory, [email protected] Anja-Verena Mudring Ames Laboratory Ikenna C. Nlebedim Ames Laboratory, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ameslab_manuscripts Part of the Other Materials Science and Engineering Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Recommended Citation Prodius, Denis; Gandha, Kinjal; Mudring, Anja-Verena; and Nlebedim, Ikenna C., "Sustainable Urban Mining of Critical Elements from Magnet and Electronic Wastes" (2019). Ames Laboratory Accepted Manuscripts. 545. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ameslab_manuscripts/545 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ames Laboratory Accepted Manuscripts by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sustainable Urban Mining of Critical Elements from Magnet and Electronic Wastes Abstract A straightforward and environment-friendly process for acid-free leaching of rare-earth elements and cobalt, which are critical materials, from waste magnet materials has been developed. The process also allows for selective leaching of rare-earth elements from magnet-containing electronic wastes, such as end-of-life hard disk drives and electric motors. The use of copper salts eliminates the use of volatile toxic acids in the dissolution and separation processes, which allows for a more eco-friendly approach to recovering critical elements and a safer work environment.
    [Show full text]