It is no longer unheard of for people to throw away expensive computers in order to have the latest model. Your mobile phone may be functioning perfectly, but if it doesn’t take pictures or have the latest advanced features it has got to be replaced. As a consequence, there is a growing tide of obsolete computers and other electronic products finding its way into landfill sites throughout the UK and Europe.

AZoM - Metals, Ceramics, Polymer and Composites : Computer and Electronic Scrap Recycling
Electronic Waste Initiatives

From 2004, the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive will tackle the increasing waste streams of electrical and electronic equipment by requiring manufacturers to take back equipment for recycling. Responding to the need for an environmentally acceptable solution to deal with the huge problem of redundant computers and other electronic equipment, funding from the UK Government’s programme for Waste Minimisation through Recycling, Recovery and Reuse in Industry (WMR3) has helped scientists to pioneer the development of two novel methods s for recycling components and valuable metals in printed circuit boards (PCBs).
New Technology for Processing Printed Circuit Boards

Researchers at Cambridge University have collaborated with colleagues from with Alpha-Fry Ltd and EA Technology to develop a patented process that employs a specially developed chemical leaching agent to release all the valuable electronic components such as chips or condensers for recycling, and to recover valuable metals and other materials from shredded boards.
Recycling Printed Circuit Boards

Around 60 million PCBs are produced each year. Each circuit board has a metal content of up to 30% by weight. The metals present in the majority of cases are gold, silver, copper, tin and lead. Many of the processes used to recover non-precious metals are based on mechanical, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques, in which the value of the electronic component is totally lost and maximum metal recovery is not possible. The integrated approach developed at Cambridge enables the components to be separated and resold, the solder leached and re-deposited as a solder alloy and the shredded boards to be reused as a binder in aggregate use.