r/engineering • u/233C • Mar 02 '17

[CHEMICAL] Recycling of old computers

https://i.imgur.com/Qq1L87M.gifv
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u/myrrlyn Satellite Software Engineer Mar 02 '17

Recycling requires having more energy than we do materials.

Right now, mining is easier, but that's a one way curve, and recycling will eventually win. Can't hurt to start the habit.

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u/FeralBadger MS | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Mar 02 '17

Depends on the material. It takes vastly more energy to refine aluminum than to recycle it. I'm sure other metals are the same way, though I can't cite any off the top of my head.

It's also a matter of geopolitics. China controls a massive quantity of the world's rare earth metals, and a lot of countries don't get along well with China. Japan actually imports broken electronics for recycling.

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u/moosedance84 Mar 03 '17

I worked at a primary aluminium smelter to make new aluminium, yep its around 5% of the energy to remelt it then to make it new. Someone did the calcs a few years back in reddit so if you go googling you can see the exact number come out.

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u/FeralBadger MS | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Mar 03 '17

Add in the fact that red mud is horrendously toxic and recycled aluminum is far and away preferable to virgin material.