Precious Metals Recovery Process from Electronic Boards: Case Study of a Non-Profit Organization (QC, Canada)

Abstract

The growth in the consumption of electronic products in recent years has resulted in increasing electronic device waste. At the same time, there is a decrease in the availability of raw metals required to produce electronic boards. Recycling through the recovery of precious and critical metals contained in electronic board waste is a solution, but the processes need to be safer for the environment. This paper presents the steps that lead to investment in the development of an eco-friendly and cost-effective process for recovering precious metals from end-of-life electronic telecommunications cards. Social organizations can also become involved in the recycling of electronic cards, thus enabling the integration of marginalized people into society. We examine the case of a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people living with mental health problems through the recycling of end-of-life telecommunication devices. This recycling process must operate within constraints specific to this organization and to the employment of people with mental health issues. The literature review showed that considering ecological and economic factors, the hydrometallurgical process appeared to be a logical choice.