Solution Title
BIOLEACHING OF WEEE WASTES FOR THE RECOVERY OF VALUABLE METALS
Solution Title (in English)
Sectors
WEEE, hazardous waste
Markets
Recycling industry, electrical industry
Description
LIFE BIOTAWEE will pilot a new technology for recovering gold, silver, copper and platimum from printed circuit boards found in electrical and electronic waste. These valuable metals are currently incinerated because they cannot be recovered from the non-metallic fractions of the circuit boards.
The two-stage 'bioleaching' process will combine aerobic and anaerobic treatment and produce methane which can be used as a source of power. The new solution is expected to reduce energy consumption and processing costs in comparison with other treatment processes (pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, one-step bioleaching). It will also make use of available waste from other industries (food and animal feed) as an additional nutrient-booster for microorganisms.
The project will also evaluate whether two-stage bioleaching can be used to cost-effectively process other waste streams with a high plastic content (such as batteries and end-of-life vehicles). Results will be communicated to relevant stakeholders across Europe.
On the following link you will find downloads to the project deliverables: https://www.biotawee.com/en/documents
