Quantifying metal values in e-waste in Australia: The value chain perspective

The existing practices and opportunities for material recovery from end-of-life (EoL) consumer products depend on multiple factors. Some products are relatively simple in terms of metal and other material mix, while others are very complex often containing high concentration of precious and rare metals. With insufficient scale, feasible options for recycling are significantly limited. The major efforts in managing e-waste in Australia, under the Product Stewardship Act 2011, include the collection services for EoL TVs, computers and related products, through establishing industry-funded co-regulatory agreements. A further progression along the recycling value chain is however hindered by a lack of scale for establishing the full recovery operations in the country, as well as by a lack of domestic application for recovered metals. Based on our previous work of estimating the stocks and flows of electrical and electronic equipment and their metal content, this paper provides further analysis of metal flows and value associated with e-waste. Notably, we estimate how this is currently captured and/or lost, and overview barriers and opportunities for retaining the 'wealth from waste' through progression along the metal value chain in Australia.