Researchers at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, have called for the recovery and recycling of precious metals from electronic waste to strengthen the Nigerian economy and reduce pressure on foreign exchange.
The researchers, Adeyẹmi Olamide Adeparusi of the Department of Liberal Studies and Abiodun Olaniyi Fatoye of the Department of Science and Technology, said the increasing demand for newer electronic and electrical devices had contributed to the rapid accumulation of e-waste.
They made the call in a research paper titled, “Economic impact of extracted precious metals from electronic waste in South Western Nigeria: Review of extraction methods,” made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.
The researchers said, “E-waste contains valuable precious metals which can turn around the national economy and reduce the burden on foreign exchange”
Adeparusi and Fatoye noted that e-waste contained metals, ceramics and plastics, among other materials, which could be recovered, recycled and reused for economic benefits, rather than being discarded in landfills.
They stated, “E-waste is a generic name, considered collectively for discarded electronic devices and/or electronic components. Generally, metals make up approximately 50 per cent of the total e-waste.
The remainder consists of ceramics, refractory oxides and plastics along with several hazardous substances.
“Several metals, both base and precious metals, are used in making essential components of electronic devices. The properties of these metals make them ideal for recycling and reuse. Yet, studies have shown that only 15-20 per cent of electronic devices are recycled.
“This shows a huge volume of untapped valuable metals that could be reused instead of sitting in landfills. Effectively recovering metals from these devices could have multiple economic and ecological benefits, ranging from reducing the economic burden of electronics recycling to reducing the demand for ore mining.”
The researchers called for the adoption of a hybrid approach to e-waste extraction to enable the South-West and Nigeria at large to benefit from the growing e-waste recovery industry.
They said, “The experimental analysis conducted on printed circuit boards (PCB) indicated the abundance of precious metals in e-waste.
“This review addresses issues related to chemical and biological extraction techniques and proposes a hybrid methodology that incorporates both, also with safer chemicals and compatible microbes for better and more efficient extraction of metals from the e-waste.
“The global e-waste generation is estimated to be between 53.6 million tons, and it is increasing by 3–5 per cent per year. The global precious metals e-waste recovery market was expected to grow from $9.22bn in 2021 to $9.61bn in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.28 per cent.
The market is expected to reach $11.51bn in 2026 at a CAGR of 4.61 per cent.
“The present e-waste management practices, i.e. dumping of e-waste in landfills and incineration, are not environmentally friendly owing to the high risks of health hazards and space occupation; therefore, unsustainable.”
Adeparusi and Fatoye further said a structured approach was needed to address pollution arising from e-waste management.
They said, “A systematic approach is required to treat pollution load from this sector. The extraction of precious metals from e-waste in developing nations occurs through manual scavenging, pyrometallurgy, and hydrometallurgy, which are not only hazardous to people but also to the entire environment.”
“As a result, e-waste recycling and other non-conventional management methods, integrating several green approaches, offer economic potential for enterprises with long-term sustainability for the future.
“Recovering precious metals from e-waste in South Western Nigeria presents a viable economic opportunity that supports job creation, resource security and environmental security. Adoption of sustainable extraction methods is key to maximising the benefits.”