How to recycle power electronics - a step towards circularity

Abstract:
The ongoing processes of electrification and digitalization contribute to a gradual yet significant increase in demand for power electronics and electronics in general. Concurrently, the demand for the raw materials utilized in the production of these devices is also increasing. For this reason, the European Union has been striving for several years to recover these valuable materials, which are bound up in electronic devices, at the end of their life through suitable collection and processing strategies. However, the end-of-life regulation does not yet encompass all electronic devices. Consequently, this work investigates whether the material compositions of regulated systems are comparable to those of non-regulated systems. This provides a foundation for establishing the state of the art of end-of-life treatment of waste electronic and electrical equipment, which can be transferred to the non-regulated systems.