46 November 2012
Collection of mobile phones and other small electronic devices
Collection is the first step towards recycling – waste that is not separately collected can-
not be recycled or reused. In this article, the
term ‘waste’ refers to end-of-life products dis-
carded by the end user, and does not include
functioning second-hand products that are
transmitted personally to another user or trad-
ed on the internet or elsewhere.
Collection of waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE) can be driven by regula-
tions, economic considerations and/or idealist
motivations (for environmental protection).
Collection makes the materials contained in
WEEE available for recycling.
E – s c r a p By Perrine Chancerel, Berlin’s University of Technology
Globally, sales of mobile phones and smartphones reached 1.55 bil-
lion units in 2011. The manufacturing of mobile phones and other
small electronic devices creates a large demand for metals frequent-
ly considered as ‘critical’. ‘Recycling’ as a supply strategy requires,
in the first instance, an efficient collection infrastructure – but this
has yet to be implemented in most countries. Researchers from
Berlin’s University of Technology (TU Berlin) have been assessing the
present situation and are proposing concepts to improve the collec-
tion of small devices.
Small – but rich
in precious resources
RI_9- Small precious resources.indd 46 09-11-12 09:32
