Zero-waste mobile phones come closer to reality

• Canada North America

• Scientific studies Waste Electronics / Electrical equipments Recycling

The scientists at the University of British Columbia perfected a process to efficiently separate fiberglass and resin - two of the most commonly discarded parts of a cellphone - bringing them closer to their goal of a zero-waste cellphone.

It's one of the first processes to use simple techniques like gravity separation to cleanly lift organic resins from inorganic fiberglass.

"Discarded cell phones are a huge, growing source of electronic waste, with close to two billion new cell phones sold every year around the world and people replacing their phones every few years," said lead researcher Maria Holuszko. "The challenge is to break down models that can no longer be reused into useful materials--in a way that doesn't harm the environment."

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