Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Technology => Topic started by: MysteryGuitarMan on 04/04/2011 09:19:47

Title: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: MysteryGuitarMan on 04/04/2011 09:19:47

What do you think? Please elaborate upon explanation. By the way, what does the question mean by saying how well does cell phone recycling work? Thanks all.

Title: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: Jolly- Joliver on 04/04/2011 12:08:26

I think what the question implies, is the idea that some parts of a phone cannot be recycled, meaning that the recycling process doesn't work so well as some things are left over to waste stil.

That is how I recieve it- working well the process should recycle the majority of the materials in the phone, working extremely well all of them, only recycling a few it would be working badly.

"over 90% in weight terms is recycled from mobile phones according to this film"
 

Another film

Amount of phones actually being recycled is an issue.

So I would say that the process needs more phones to be recycled, and probably an improvement in the recycling methods to attempt to recycle all of the materials and any waste generated by the recycleing process.

I'll say it's going ok- 6 out of 10, must try harder, for the recycling side, the collection side another issue all together.

Title: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: rosy on 04/04/2011 12:59:57

Of course the important thing about recycling is not to recycle maximum waste, but a combination of recycling those components which will damage the environment if sent to landfill, and recycling those components which are energetically intensive to produce from raw materials but more efficient to recycle.

I have no idea how the current state of mobile phone (or other) recycling matches up to these criteria, but I suspect that in order to get above 90 % recycling by weight per item recycled is going to need the producers to put end-of-life planning into the initial design of the item.. that is, to consider the need to optimise recycling at the manufacturing stage, and select materials and assembly techniques accordingly.

Title: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: Jolly- Joliver on 04/04/2011 13:23:02

Quote from: rosy on 04/04/2011 12:59:57

Of course the important thing about recycling is not to recycle maximum waste, but a combination of recycling those components which will damage the environment if sent to landfill, and recycling those components which are energetically intensive to produce from raw materials but more efficient to recycle.

I agree there is a hierarchy to the component substances to be recycled from any product, but I do think also that eventually we should look to recycle everything and producing no waste also as we do so.

Quote from: rosy on 04/04/2011 12:59:57

I have no idea how the current state of mobile phone (or other) recycling matches up to these criteria, but I suspect that in order to get above 90 % recycling by weight per item recycled is going to need the producers to put end-of-life planning into the initial design of the item.. that is, to consider the need to optimise recycling at the manufacturing stage, and select materials and assembly techniques accordingly.

It's shocking that they do not already, but then they build things to be replaced completely today, so whereas in the past products just needed a replacement part, today you'll often have to buy an entirely new product should one component brake(it does depend on the product of course) but that just adds to waste and misuse of resources, those resource could be used to do other things but are being wasted to manufacture products that do not last and cannot be maintained, just so you have to buy a completely new product.
Doing it the other way and designing products to be repairable means that you only use the resources needed for that product and then for replacement parts(which is where profits should stem from really), the other resources can be used somewhere else.

A total waste, and bad economics, but if you put profit first what do you expect. 

So I would say that, all products should be designed with there end life(recycling ease) in mind but also their longevity and ability to be maintained, repaired and take on new advancements.

And actually hands down a better buy isn't it?

Product one can be maintained, repaired and is designed to take on up grades and be recyclable.

Product two anything goes wrong you'll need a new one.

Title: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: Jolly- Joliver on 04/04/2011 13:41:41

And just as an add on and an example.

A T.V would be built in parts sections that can be combined, screen breaks you can place it, prjection breaks same thing, or you replace a component with-in them.

To up grade your T.v would just get the next gen part, in any area, a better screen, or a better projection system, better componets.

Title: Re: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: alextodd on 06/08/2013 08:23:08

Well, there are companies that actually recycle 100% materials that are found from the cellular phone, as some of the companies follow a very strict set of rules and regulations when it comes to processing cellular phones and their parts (Zero Land fill Policy). {commercial link removed}

Title: Re: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: syhprum on 07/08/2013 15:35:23

For something to be repairable means that some parts fail more quickly than others which of course is basically a design problem the ideal would be a device that runs for a set period then crumbles to dust, I have just dumped a TV that I salvaged from a skip 15 years ago with a minor fault now that the problems that is has are rapidly building up.
It would be a futile exercise to dismantle it for spares as technology has moved on.

Title: Re: How well does cell phone recycling work?
Post by: SeanB on 09/08/2013 19:58:01

Same here, took an old TV apart for scrap value. All the plastics inside had gone incredibly brittle, and crumbled on touching them in many cases. The majority will go in the Ewaste bin next time I go past it.