international seminar on electronic waste -...
TRANSCRIPT
International Seminar on Electronic Waste
UMICORE BRASILRicardo Rodrigues
February 22nd , 2011
� Umicore Group
� Umicore Brazil
�The e-scrap recycling chain
� What to do in Brazil? South America?
� Conclusions
Material technology company with focus on clean technologies
Workforce: 14,000
> 70 industrial locations worldwide
Umicore structure
e.g. drosses from lead smelters,
slimes from copper industry,…
Umicore in Hoboken: processing 300,000 tpy, + 200 different types of raw materials
By-products from non-
ferrous industry
Spent Industrial Catalysts
Spent Automotive Catalysts
Electronic Scrap
By-products Recyclable products
Industrial catalysts from oil
refining & petrochemical
industry
e.g. printed circuit boards
end-of-life car catalysts
Others
Precious metal bearing raw
materials
e.g. fuel cells, photographic
residues
Electronic Scrap
- Printed circuit boards (PCBs)
- Cell phones( handsets )
- Connectors
� Umicore Group
� Umicore Brazil
�The e-scrap recycling chain
� What to do in Brazil? South America?
� Conclusions
� UPMR operates in BRAZIL with the following activities: �Sampling & Assaying operation for SAC, SIC and JEWELRY SCRAP;
�Handling & Warehousing for E-SCRAP.
� UPMR structure is serving the South-American market;
Umicore Brazil
� Umicore Group
� Umicore Brazil
� The e-scrap recycling chain
� What to do in Brazil? South America?
� Conclusions
recycled metals/ elements
collectionpre-
processingdis-
mantlingmaterialsrecovery
e-scrap
separated components & fractions� OEM’S
� SCRAP DEALERS
� E-WASTE management companies
� WASTE management companies
� Logistic companies;
� Cables;� Plastics� Aluminium� Fe� PCB’s� Batteries- etc.
Recycling chain
� Consumer� Corporative� Institutions
� OEM’S
� E-WASTE management companies
� WASTE management companies
� Recycling companies
Precious Metals + 12 types of differentmetals
Who is a recycler?• Every (serious) stakeholder in the chain is somehow a “recycler”.
• A waste management company or a pre-processor is not a recycler of (technology) metals in the stricter sense, they prepare materials for final recovery.
• Many waste management companies have their roots in bulk waste & mass metals (steel, copper, aluminium) and traditionally focus on mass throughput and cost.
• Many scrap dealers and (global) traders raise the impression to do recycling. Having “recycling pictures on the website or “recycling” in a company name is no sufficient proof for real recycling.
• Only the metallurgical processes of Umicore type finally recover (isolate & refine) the (technology) metals in a way that they can be fed back into the market. Their success depends on the quantity & quality of the feed from the upstream chain.
�The structures in the recycling chain need to adapt to today’s requirements of professional, ethical andtransparent business execution.
E-scrap: Umicore’s focus material
E-scrap is a complex mix of:
� Ag, Au, Pd… (precious metals)
� Cu, Al, Ni, Sn, Zn, Fe… (base metals)
� Hg, Be, Pb, Cd, As, Sb, Bi… (PIA metals)
� Br, F, Cl... (halogens)
� plastics (combustibles)
� e-scrap contains valuable metals & resources & as such represents a true surface mine, which must not be wasted
� sustainable processing in environmentally sound and robust operations
Via Umicore Battery Recycling, we also offer recycling solutions for Rechargeable batteries (NiMH, Li-ion, Li-polymer)
High Tech & Economies of Scale � Key for precious metals refining from complex materials
• Focus PM-containing secondary material, input > 300 000 t/a, global customer basis• Recovery of 7 PM & 11 other metals: Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Cu, Pb, Ni, Sn, Bi, Se,
Recycled metal value 2007: 3 Bn US-$ Te, Sb, As, In, Ga.
• Investments since 1997: 400 M €; Invest. for comparable green field plant: >> 1 Bn €!• Complex processes, high recovery rates >> 95 % for PM, minimal waste
Umicore‘s integrated smelter/refinery at Hoboken/Antwerp
ISO 14001 & 9001, OHSAS 18001
CollectionPre-
processingDis-
mantlingMaterialsrecovery
backyard recycling ► “low tech”
foto: EMPA/CH
Au yield ≈ 25%
integrated metals smelting/refining ►“high tech”
UmicoreAu yield >> 95%
+ high PM yields+ special & base metals recovered
+ elimination of hazardous substances
+ high environmental standard
− High losses, few metals recovered only dramatic environment & health impacts
− Typical for most Asian & African countries
End-processors (“Recyclers”) – Two approaches
� Umicore Group
� Umicore Brazil
� The e-scrap recycling chain
� What to do in Brazil? South America?
� Conclusions
What to do in Brazil?Recommendations Umicore
� Create legislative framework that promotes/facilitates collection & recycling;�Define reliable supervision of recycling standards;
�Determine reasonable collection and recycling targets;
� Develop and implement communication program, end-user must be informed about what to do with e-waste;
� Assure organized collection first before thinking of next steps => If no collection => no recycling;�Mobilising relevant EoL products for proper collection instead of
stocking, landfill or incineration.
What to do in Brazil? Recommendations Umicore
�Maximize the use of manual dismantling and minimize mechanical pre-processing for complex products:
=> The more complex/interlinked the material, the less selective are mechanical separation processes and the higher are losses of precious metals by co-segregation
=> Do not underestimate the job creation potential of (WEEE)-recycling (especially in collection and pre-processing) => Recycling as a means to fightagainst poverty
�Preventing illegal exports by creating specific NCM for relevant EoL products & increasing transparency in flows;
�Create a system to control the e-waste exporting companies;
What to do in Brazil? Recommendations Umicore
�Transparency in the information is a key component for the evaluation of the program. - Quantity of collected devices? - Technical & environmental performance of pre-treatment?- Final destination of output fractions?- Quantity of metals/materials recycled?
� Transfer the informal sector to FORMAL instead of excluding them + make use of their strengths (collection, pre-processing, …);
What to do in Brazil? Is there a need for a precious metals smelter/refiner in Brazil?
� End-processing is crucial for final value generation & toxic control;
� Recycling trace elements from complex products needs “high-tech”, large scale processes which cannot be duplicated in any country (=> need for economies of scale);
� End-processing technology/capacity available in Europe(Umicore):� Is sufficient to serve the Brazilian e-scrap market;
�Can return more metals / more money than local refining solutions can;
�Guarantees best environmental performance.
� Umicore Group
� Umicore Brazil
� The e-scrap recycling chain
� What to do in Brazil? South America?
� Conclusions
Conclusions
� Consider recycling chain as a complex, interlinked-chain:
� without collection, no recycling
� without a serious recycling partner, high metal losses & environmental risk
� Use strengths of Brazilian recycling society:
� Transfer the informal sector to FORMAL
� use manual labour to do focused disassembly of PCs & other complex products
� limit mechanical pre-processing (“shredding”) of these to an absolute minimum
� NATIONAL POLICY OF SOLID RESIDUES, must be seen as an opportunity in respect to:
� job creation;
� reduce emissions;
� save energy and natural resources.
Conclusions
� For smelting/refining of complex (precious) metal bearing fractions, make use of best available technology , also if this technology is currently not located in Brazil;
�EXPORTING is also an important tool to create reven ues to the country;
Umicore is the reliable, globally-active long-term partner to process your precious metal bearing e-scraps
[email protected]@umicore.comwww.preciousmetals.umicore.com