<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe\nE-waste recycling business is highly labour intensive and involves too many\ndifferent steps starting from the e-waste collection or sourcing to final\nmaterial processing. The processing either ends at obtaining desired recycled\nproducts or the raw materials for reuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nE-waste recycling process refers to the reuse and reprocessing of Electrical\nand Electronic Equipment that has been rejected or regarded as end-of-life\nproducts. There is an e-waste recycling plant where the end-of-life electronic\nproducts which are collected from the consumers are transferred for the\nrecycling process. Such end-of-life products are transported to the recycling\nplant for segregation, dismantling, treatment and disposal. For setting up an\ne-waste recycling plant, the occupier of such plant has to take permission or\nconsent to establish from the Pollution Control Board under the Water and Air\nAct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nfollowing steps are taken while the e-waste recycling process:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Collection<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The very\nfirst step in the process of e-waste recycling is to collect the e-waste from\ndifferent consumers. The collected e-wastes are transported to the e-waste\nrecycling plant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sorting<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When the\ne-wastes arrive at the recycling plant, then the first step taken is to sort\nall the types of e-waste manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Dismantling<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
After\nmanual sorting, the next step is manual dismantling. The wastes are separated\ninto two categories; one is the waste that can be reused, and another one is\nthe waste that is still in the recycling process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The large size reduction process<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The\ne-waste that cannot be dismantled is granulated with other dismantled e-wastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The small size reduction process<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The finer\nor smaller e-wastes are evenly spread over the conveyor belt and then further\nbroken down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Magnetic separation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The\nmagnet is used in this step to remove the magnetic materials from the e-waste,\nsuch as iron or steel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Non-metallic and metallic components\n separation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The\nmetallic components such as copper, aluminium or brass are separated so that\nonly non-metallic materials are left behind in the debris of e-waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Water separation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The last\nstep in the process of e-waste recycling is that the plastic contents are\nseparated from the glass by use of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once all\nsteps are completed, then the retrieved materials are sold as raw materials for\nreuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncomponents retrieved from the e-waste recycling process are:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Plastic<\/strong>: all the plastic\n materials are transported to the recyclers to use for manufacturing\n plastic items. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Metal<\/strong>: all the metals retrieved\n are transported to the recyclers to manufacture new metallic items.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mercury<\/strong>: all the devices\n that contain mercury are transported to the mercury recycling units, and\n such units use the retrieved mercury in different sectors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Printed circuit board<\/strong>:\n circuit boards are transported to the companies where these circuit boards\n are smelted to recover valuable metals like silver, gold, tin, palladium,\n copper, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hard drives<\/strong>: hard drives are\n shredded and processed into aluminium for use in the automotive industry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ink and toner cartridges<\/strong>:\n these cartridges are sent back to their respective manufacturing units for\n recycling as they are re-manufactured. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Batteries<\/strong>: batteries are sent\n to some special kind of recyclers where the plastic is removed from the batteries. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n