Lead-In to the Urban Mining of E-Waste

🌱 What is urban mining?

Urban mining is the process of reclaiming materials from urban waste. A common form of urban mining involves recovering metals and minerals from e-waste.

🌱 Why is urban mining relevant for a circular economy?

Urban mining can play a key role in the circular economy. There is a finite supply of raw materials on Earth. Through urban mining, it is possible to re-use materials. This notably limits (some of) the environmental impacts from disposing materials and having to extract or produce new materials. The extraction of virgin metals and minerals can, for example, damage ecosystems and cause pollution. By re-using metals and minerals from e-waste, these impacts or risks can be reduced or mitigated.[i] It is, however, important to note that the reclaiming of materials can come with its own impacts or risks. Examples of this include the environmental and health issues that can arise through the informal recycling of e-waste. Therefore, in addition to urban mining, sustainable design and repairs are essential for a truly circular economy.

🌱 Is urban mining widespread?

There is currently a significant gap between the amount of raw materials found in urban waste and the potential amount of raw materials that could be recovered through urban mining. Most urban mining today involves melting down devices in a furnace and focuses on extracting only the most valuable metals – such as copper, silver, and gold. It is not uncommon to recycle only 10% of the material and discard the rest on landfills.[ii]

🌱 What is the value of the minerals found in e-waste?

E-waste is “a huge sleeping resource”.[iii] For example, it is estimated that there are approximately 7 million unused phones in Switzerland alone and that the gold embedded in these is worth $10 million.[iv] In 2019, “[t]he value of raw materials in the global e-waste generated […] was estimated at US $57 billion”. Of this value, “most [was] attributed to iron, copper and gold components”.[v] Globally, recoverable natural resources from e-waste worth US$ 62 billion were left unaccounted for in 2022. While these resources are strategically valuable, they were dumped or wasted in huge quantities. The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 holds that “if countries could bring the e-waste collection and recycling rates to 60% by 2030, the benefits […] would exceed costs by more than US $38 billion”.[vi]

🌱 What role could urban mining play in the energy transition?

E-waste contains materials needed for “strategic sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, [and] industry”.[vii] Rare earth elements are just one example of a material found in e-waste, which is needed for e-mobility and renewable energy technologies. Currently, only 1% of the global demand for rare earth elements is met through e-waste recycling. Through increased recycling or urban mining, countries could become less dependent on a select few countries for the rare earth elements they need for their future renewable energy technologies.[viii]

Explore our module on urban mining here.