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124 Substance flow analysis of the recycling of small WEEE 8. Conclusion This investigation estimated the flows of sWEEE and the related flows of gold and palladium in the system ‘management of sWEEE’ in Germany and in the USA. A large amount of data from different sources were selected and combined. The result of the SFA showed that in Germany, around 72 % of the gold and of the palladium contained in sWEEE gets lost to the recycling economy. These losses amount to 75% in the USA. The economic value of these lost precious metals is high. Beyond the quantitative results, the SFA enabled the identification of gaps in the data and the formulation of recommendations for gathering better data in the future. ‘Non-separated collection’ and ‘losses during treatment’ are the main reasons for the losses, which vary according to the considered groups of equipment. The main losses of precious metals from WEEE are not due to the lack of available technologies, but to logistical and organisational challenges. WEEE includes numerous different types of devices that contain precious metals and other materials in different concentrations. The efforts for more efficient collection and recycling need to be differentiated according to the different equipment type. Limiting the non-separated collection of WEEE and pre-sorting the different kinds of equipment according to their characteristics before treating them with state-of-the-art technology would considerably reduce the material losses. The research showed that especially the collection of small and high-grade end-of-life devices like mobile phones needs to be improved. Since the collection target of 4 kg per year and capita defined in the WEEE directive does not promote the collection of light devices, specific collection targets and new collection channels are required for these devices. A change of the legislation would also support the implementation of more efficient recycling processes regarding the recovery of precious metals, because the mass-based recovery targets of the WEEE directive does not set incentives for the recovery of trace elements like precious metals. Besides the development of the legislation, improving the recovery of precious metals involves raising awareness and developing economic incentives. The actors of WEEE management, which are primarily the EEE producers, the users, the operators of recycling facilities, the public authorities, the research institutions and the non-governmental organisations, need to cooperate to develop practical solutions considering the complexity of WEEE. A clear definition of responsibilities is needed, as well as an efficient monitoring of the material flows and more control to enforce the regulations.
8. Conclusion 125 All the equipment groups investigated in this thesis, except the CRT monitors, have higher concentrations of gold than the majority of the currently mined ores. Of course, the other materials and substances contained in WEEE should not be forgotten when designing management strategies for WEEE. The recovery of precious metals from WEEE is very relevant regarding the development of our societies towards close-loop management of materials and substances.
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ITU-Schriftenreihe, 2010 Institut f
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Bibliografische Information Der Deu
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Acknowledgements Here I would like
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Kurzfassung Die Nachfrage nach Edel
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Composition of the doctoral thesis
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4.1.1. Generation .................
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Figure 25 Flows of gold and palladi
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Table 26 Quantity of sWEEE (includi
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List of abbreviations Ag Au BAT CE
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3. Method 51 Table 8 Groups of equi
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3. Method 55 Equipment group Equipm
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3. Method 57 3.3.2. Data on materia
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4. Data inventory 67 The following
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4. Data inventory 69 average weight
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4. Data inventory 71 Collection cha
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Page 127 and 128: References 127 Binder 2007 BITKOM 2
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Page 135 and 136: References 135 Melissen 2006 Mesker
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Page 139 and 140: References 139 StEP 2009 Stevels 20
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Page 159 and 160: Appendices 159 Appendix 8 Flows of
Page 161 and 162: Appendices 161 Appendix 10 Flows of
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