Lecture

Recycling of WEEE & wastewater treatment

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In course

MSE-463: Recycling of materials

Students understand the issues and key factors of a waste recycling process. They know the sorting and recycling technologies of various materials and are able to compare the environmental impact of recycling with that of using raw material resources. ...

Description

This lecture covers the recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and wastewater treatment. It discusses the ten WEEE categories in the EU, the composition of WEEE materials, and the importance of clean energy. The presentation delves into the challenges and methods of recycling rare earth elements, the treatment of concentrated and diluted wastes, and the use of ion exchange and chemical processes. It also explores the criticality of materials, the alternatives to rare earth elements, and the legislation related to wastewater treatment. The lecture emphasizes the need for sustainable practices in handling electronic waste and wastewater.

Instructor

Yves Leterrier

Yves Leterrier joined EPFL in 1993 and is a faculty member of the Materials Institute. He is a senior scientist and lecturer in the Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC, previously Laboratory of Composite and Polymer Technology, LTC). Activities 2000-2005: Foundation and Chair of the Korea-Switzerland joint symposia on materials and micro-technologies2004-2008: Board member of FLEXIDIS (the European flexible display consortium) 2004-2009: Group leader on lightweight materials for Solar ImpulseSince 2008: Board member of the French Adhesion SocietySince 2000: President of the EPFL Materials Science Library commissionSince 2012: Editorial board member, Applied Surface ScienceSince 2014: Associate Editor, Frontiers in MaterialsSince 2021: Coordinator of the EPFL Minor on 'Engineering for Sustainability' Background 1987: MS in materials science and solid state physics (INPL, France) 1991: PhD in materials science (Ecole des Mines, INPL, France) 1992: Research Associate, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, USA)

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Environmental science

Environmental policy: Waste management

Pollution: Water pollution

Related concepts (32)

Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the properties it had in its original state. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. It can also prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy use, air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling).

Aluminium recycling

Aluminium recycling is the process by which scrap aluminium can be reused in products after its initial production. The process involves simply re-melting the metal, which is far less expensive and energy-intensive than creating new aluminium (Recycled Aluminum-Secondary Aluminium) through the electrolysis of aluminium oxide (), which must first be mined from bauxite ore and then refined into aluminium oxide using the Bayer process and then refined again into aluminium metal using the Hall–Héroult process.

Electronic waste recycling

Electronic waste recycling, electronics recycling or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics; when referring to specific types of e-waste, the terms like computer recycling or mobile phone recycling may be used. Like other waste streams, re-use, donation and repair are common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste. Since its inception in the early 1990s, more and more devices are recycled worldwide due to increased awareness and investment.

Industrial wastewater treatment

Industrial wastewater treatment describes the processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries as an undesirable by-product. After treatment, the treated industrial wastewater (or effluent) may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer or to a surface water in the environment. Some industrial facilities generate wastewater that can be treated in sewage treatment plants.

Sewage treatment

Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharges. Sewage contains wastewater from households and businesses and possibly pre-treated industrial wastewater. There are a high number of sewage treatment processes to choose from.

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