Urban Mining of E-Waste: Inception of Secondary Resources of Valuable Metals

Abstract

The electronics industry is among the most vital and fastest-developing industries in the world. The small changes in the hardware and upgradation in technological features of the electronic gadgets prompted their rapid rejection, causing a shortened life span of these equipment. Therefore, the piling of electronic waste (e-waste) has been intensified (3-5% per year), which has become a global concern for industrially developed countries. E-waste can be measured as a double-edged sword: it is harmful to the environment; at the same time, it contains a great recycling value due to the existence of valuable metals. The current recycling rate of e-waste is less than 20%. Incineration and landfilling of this e-waste are generating large quantities of toxic gases, due to the occurrence of hazardous metals, plastics, and flame retardants. Hence, the recycling of these materials is necessary to prohibit their informal disposal. On the other hand, recycling valuable metals from e-waste components will also contribute to stabilizing the demand and supply gap for various precious and critical metals present in it. In this chapter, the origin and international significance of e-waste recycling have been discussed. Moreover, advances in metal recycling from various electronic devices have been thoroughly discussed, with special emphasis on hydrometallurgical methods. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Ali Mohd Yatoo, Pankaj Kumar Gupta and Rajeev Pratap Singh; individual chapters, the contributors.