Vapes, chargers, and other “invisible” e-waste are a 9-million-ton problem
www.theverge.com
There’s a gold mine in e-waste from small electronics.

Vapes, chargers, and other “invisible” e-waste are a 9-million-ton problem.::Chargers, vapes, and other small electronics make up millions of tons of “invisible” e-waste each year. Recycling them could recover billions of dollars worth of precious materials.

  • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netEnglish
    121·
    1 year ago

    Step 1. Get A LOT of sulphuric acid
    Step 2. Get some large vats, and a metal recovery unit
    Step 3. Add waste + sulphuric acid
    Step 4. Collect leachate and precipitate metal
    Step 5. Profit

    This is basically the process used for a lot of historical mines or mines with low grade ore, except they didn’t use vats back then, but a constructed pad, with leachate collection.

    • grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      1 year ago

      Done at scale is this process producing a lot of toxic gases and waste chemicals?

      (I think you can tell I have no idea what I’m talking about here, I’m genuinely curious)

      • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netEnglish
        8·
        1 year ago

        Yeah, it’s not environmentally friendly, that’s for sure.

        Most of the issue with mining though, come from exposing buried rock to the atmosphere, or from the tailings (crushed, processed rock)