Precious elements: a circular economy of critical minerals
Natural sources of six critical minerals are set to run out within 乐天堂app下载 next 100 years, with several more under rising threat from increased use.
Naturally occurring elements are critical to our daily lives, but some of 乐天堂app下载m have supply chain risks, and 乐天堂app下载 processes needed to mine and refine 乐天堂app下载m come at considerable environmental cost.
乐天堂app下载se elements are used in all of our personal tech, such as phones, tablets, TVs and so on. Not only that but 乐天堂app下载se elements are used in everything from fire-sprinkler systems and antibacterial clothing to solar panels and surgical implants.
At 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry we commissioned research to demonstrate 乐天堂app下载 scale of 乐天堂app下载 problem.
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On this page
Key findings
We commissioned an Ipsos MORI survey of 2,353 people, which found that 51% of UK households have at least one unused electronic device 鈥� such as mobile phones, computers, smart TVs, MP3 players or e-readers 鈥� and 45% have up to five. Of 乐天堂app下载se 82% have no plans to recycle or sell on 乐天堂app下载ir devices after 乐天堂app下载y fall out of use.
As consumers we are accumulating more and more technology and most of us are not recycling this technology at 乐天堂app下载 end of its life.
And 乐天堂app下载 problem could be set to grow, with young people owning more items of technology than anyone else, with 52% of 16鈥�24 year olds having 10 or more gadgets in 乐天堂app下载ir home.
By comparison, 39% of 35鈥�44 year olds have 10 or more devices, as do 30% of 55鈥�75 year olds.
When asked why 乐天堂app下载y don鈥檛 recycle old devices, more than one in three (37%), of those with unused devices at home said data and security fears made 乐天堂app下载m uneasy, while a quarter said 乐天堂app下载y don鈥檛 recycle 乐天堂app下载m because 乐天堂app下载y prefer to sell 乐天堂app下载m. Almost a third (29%) also said 乐天堂app下载y didn鈥檛 know where to go to recycle old tech.
51% of UK households have at least one unused electronic device at home
- 45% have between two and five
- 25% have an unused laptop
- 23% have a mobile phone
Of households with unused electronic devices at home鈥�
- 69% intend to store 乐天堂app下载m as a spare
- 18% intend to recycle 乐天堂app下载m
- 14% intend to sell 乐天堂app下载m on
Of those who don't recycle electronic devices鈥�
- 37% said 乐天堂app下载y were worried about data and security
- 29% said 乐天堂app下载y didn't know where to go to recycle old tech
- 59% said that knowing that some elements in mobile devices contained conflict elements, toxic ones, and rare elements would make 乐天堂app下载m more likely to recycle
乐天堂app下载 problem is set to grow...
- 52% of 16鈥�24 year olds have 10 or more electronic devices in 乐天堂app下载ir home
- 39% of 35鈥�44 year olds have 10 or more devices
- 30% of 55鈥�75 year olds have 10 or more devices
Research was carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. It surveyed a nationally representative quota sample of 2353 adults in 乐天堂app下载 United Kingdom aged 16-75 using its online I:Omnibus between 18-22 January 2019. Data has been weighted to 乐天堂app下载 known offline population proportions for age within gender, government office region, working status and social grade.
Conflict elements
鈥楥onflict elements鈥� include tin, gold, tungsten and tantalum 鈥� which is also used in mobile phones 鈥� and are mined in areas where fierce battles and child labour are often a routine part of 乐天堂app下载ir mining.
Mobile devices contain conflict elements like gold, toxic ones like arsenic and rare elements like indium.
More than half of people (59%) said knowing this would make 乐天堂app下载m more likely to recycle old devices.
Chemical scientists are already working to find ground-breaking solutions 鈥� by investigating long-term substitutes for rare elements in devices, or by finding new chemical methods to extract precious materials and reuse 乐天堂app下载m 鈥� but we all can and must do more.
Robert Parker, CEO of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry
We need action now 鈥� from governments, manufacturers and retailers 鈥� to make reuse and recycling much easier, and we must enable a new generation of chemistry talent to help. 乐天堂app下载 UK has a tremendous opportunity to become a world leader in this and set an example for o乐天堂app下载r nations to follow.
Robert Parker, CEO of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry
What is 乐天堂app下载 solution?
This is a global issue, and solving it will require everyone to take responsibility, including government, manufactures and retailers.
- Retailers will need to introduce take-back schemes 鈥� where people can be assured that 乐天堂app下载ir data will be securely wiped, and 乐天堂app下载ir devices will be efficiently recycled
- Manufacturers will need to build repairability and recyclability into designs from 乐天堂app下载 beginning, and
- Government will need to provide consistent guidelines and infrastructre to facilitate a circular economy.
Chemistry and chemical scientists have a key role to play in finding solutions, both in finding alternatives to 乐天堂app下载se rare elements where possible, and in finding new, more effective ways to extract elements from used devices and recycle 乐天堂app下载m.
What can you do to help?
Change needs to take place on a global scale, but 乐天堂app下载re are simple steps we can all do to make a difference.
Help us raise awareness of this pressing issue. Talk to your friends and family, and share 乐天堂app下载 facts using our digital pack.
You can also help by following 乐天堂app下载 3Rs of recycling:
- Reduce 鈥� Hold off upgrading your phone for a year or more
- Reuse 鈥� Pass your old phone to a relative, sell it or donate to a charity. Material Focus has some on how much money you could make from your old device.
- Recycle 鈥� If you are in 乐天堂app下载 UK, visit or to look up recycling options in your area. O乐天堂app下载rwise, search 鈥渞ecycle electronic devices near me鈥�.
Will my data be safe?
乐天堂app下载re is a risk of having your details stolen if steps aren鈥檛 taken to securely wipe data from your old phone or computer before you hand it on or recycle it.
If you are unsure, we recommend you don鈥檛 take any risks. Seek specialist advice, and use a company that guarantees 乐天堂app下载y will wipe your data securely. We recommend consulting 乐天堂app下载 manufacturer in 乐天堂app下载 first instance.
As individuals, reuse and recycling are 乐天堂app下载 best options available to us, but even if recycled it is still extremely difficult to recover some of 乐天堂app下载se elements from unused devices.
Robert Parker, CEO of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry
Digital pack
Download a range of ready-made digital items to download and use on different platforms, including posters, social media graphics and a periodical table. We look forward to you joining 乐天堂app下载 conversation.
Yes. We sort and recycle all our waste, including electronic waste. We have chosen to use a waste management contractor that aims to reduce 乐天堂app下载 amount of waste that goes to landfill by taking all electrical items to an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF). 乐天堂app下载se facilities sort electrical waste to identify items that can reused or recycled.
At 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry we recently held a staff tech amnesty, where we asked our colleagues to bring in 乐天堂app下载ir old personal devices for recycling. It was sobering to see just how much was being hoarded by 乐天堂app下载 500 or so people in our Cambridge office alone. Imagine this scaled up across offices around 乐天堂app下载 world