Knowledge Base

Good practices to improve recycling rates

The guidelines described here were provided by WEEECycling within the scope of the EECONE project.

Casing composition

Plastics

→ Select plastics that are easy to recycle and compatible with existing recycling infrastructures PP, PE , ABS PC. → Use the same type of plastics.
→ Avoid mixing plastic types.
→ Avoid glue between plastic pieces.
→ Clearly mark type of plastic used.

Alloys

→ Avoid alloys containing problematic elements such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. → Avoid permanent fasteners such as adhesives

Low concentration metals

→ Consider using alternatives to rare metals that are easier to recycle. When possible avoid: cobalt, gallium, praseodymium, neodymium, manganese... (see #MetalsRecylingRate).
→ Minimise the amount of low-concentration metals.

Materials hindering recycling

Clearly mark components containing problematic substances such as nickel, lead, mercury, flame retardants and PFAs. This enables recyclers to treat them appropriately.
Lead and Mercury
Lead and Mercury → Eliminate the use of Lead and Mercury in your systems
→ Explore lead-free solder alternatives, such as SAC305 or Sn96,5Ag3.5, are easier to recycle and less toxic than traditional lead-based alloys.
Flame retardants → Avoid using brominated flame retardants and other Persistent Organic Polluants.
PFAS → Avoid using PFAS in your products.
Iron and Tin → Explore alternatives to iron and tin in components where their presence hinders the recovery of other metals. Consider advanced polymer materials or specific alloys that minimise the presence of iron and tin.

→ Reduce the amount of tin: Minimise trace and via sizes, use smaller and lighter components, and optimize component placement to reduce the amount of solder required.

→ Explore solder alternatives: conductive adhesives, or press-fit connections, which can reduce or eliminate the use of tin.
Nickel → Separation of nickel-rich components: Design your electronic products so that nickel-containing components can be easily separated and recycled separately. This avoids contamination of other metals and minimises problems during electrochemical processes.

Material Accessibility

→ Explore alternatives such as clips, press-fit fasteners or easily breakable spot welds.
→ Favour electronic products that can be dismantled and easily disassembled, allowing easy access to components and materials for more efficient sorting and recycling.
→ Standardise fixings and connectors to facilitate dismantling and reduce the variety of materials used.