Through the application of high-functional and strategically important metals, waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been discussed recently as a secondary “ore”. Potential future supply risks of these specifi c materials lead to the necessity of a specialized recycling of electronic goods.

1,730,794t of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) were brought on the German market in 2010. 722,567t of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were collected from private households but only about 1.1% of those were reused.

Raw materials, which are of great economic importance, but for which the risk of supply bottlenecks is valid, are considered as “critical”. Others, where this risk might occur due to market changes are called “potentially critical” (FFG 2012). The following metals are defined as (potentially) critical raw materials either by the EU or by the FFG: Be, Mg, Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Cr, Al, Ga, In, rare earth elements (REE), Ge, Sb, Nb, Ta, W, V, Mo, platinum group elements (PGE).

Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life and revolutionized the way we communicate, retrieve information, and entertain ourselves. Between cell phones, computers, televisions, iPads, and e-Readers, it is estimated that the average person in the United States (U.S.) uses 24 electronic products (CEA, 2008).

Electrical and electronic appliances are a fast growing product Group with high diversification. The products contain recyclable material as metals, Plastics and rare earths, but also materials, inter alia in hte glass of Picture tubes, fridges, LCD-Screens and Computer boards. Their proper disposal, especially in the non-OECD countries, is a particular challenge for the Environment and health protection.¹ The european Community has therefore put in place the Directive 2002/96/EG for electrical and electronic waste Equipment (WEEE-Directive) on 13th February 2003.²

Minimum treatment requirements for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are laid down by the Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE Directive, last amended by 2008/34/EC). Annex II (1) to the Directive specifies 15 substances, preparations and components in total, which as a minimum have to be removed from any separately collected WEEE (Depollution). The following components can be part of small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (sWEEE): capacitors (all PCB-containing capacitors and electrolyte capacitors), batteries, printed circuit boards, toner cartridges, liquid crystal displays, mercury containing components, such as switches or backlighting lamps, asbestos-containing components, components containing refractory ceramic fibres, components containing radioactive substances, plastic-containing brominated flame retardants and external electric cables.

Electrical and electronic equipment represents with 9 million/tons/year the fastest growing waste stream in Europe. Since 2003 the WEEE-Directive (2002/96/EC) promotes reuse, recy-cling and other forms of recovery with collection targets and targets for re-use and recycling. The directive implies a producer responsibility for financing the waste management. Today most of the EOL-CRT-glass is recycled closed-loop. After the required treatment the cullet is sent to CRT-producers mainly in Middle-Asia. But the European market for CRT-appliances nearly seems closed. Worldwide, CRT-producers gave up the production within last years. Even if until today developing countries represent a market for CRT-appliances an appre-ciable decrease in the production is feared.

After 130 years, Europe bids farewell to the incandescent light bulb. Conventional bulbs are too inefficient, too expensive, and too harmful to the climate. But the switch to low-energy lamps is not without consequences for the environment -- not, at least, as long as there is no adequate disposal system for the mercury contained in the new lamps. All low-energy lamps, most of which are manufactured in Asia, contain the poisonous heavy metal mercury.

In future, energy and resource efficiency, as well as principles of closed loop recycling management will set the political agenda more than short-term economic growth. Germany is more than just a role model -- it will also be attractive as a supplier of raw materials for the Middle Kingdom.

The adoption of the European directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in January 2003 caused an increasing discussion about these devices, because the frame conditions of electronic scrap disposal were consistently regulated for Europe by this directive.

There is an increasing interest in the end-of-life management of polymers present in waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE), which is mainly due to the high recycling and recovery targets set by the European WEEE directive.

Mechanical and biological treatment has been established as a concept of handling municipal solid waste. The biological process aims to degrade the organic fraction of the waste to a stabilized product through fermentation and rotting processes. The final maturation produces a depositable residual waste.