Recycling Rates of Metals report

As metal use has increased during the 20th and 21st centuries, there has been a substantial shift from metal resources being subterranean geological stores to becoming ‘above-ground’ stocks in use in society.[1] Metals can be used over and over again, saving energy and minimising the negative environmental impacts associated with mining virgin material, so it makes sense to recycle these above-ground stocks. However, the report found that less than a third of the crucial 60 metals studied in the report have an end-of-life recycling rate above 50 per cent, and 34 of them have a recycling rate of below 1 per cent.[2]

Green technologies would certainly benefit from greater metals recycling. Among the least-recycled metals are tellurium and gallium, which are used in solar cells, and lithium, which is a key component of the batteries in electric cars. Stocks of these metals are often tied up in old gadgets, such as out-of-date mobile phones, which people often leave in a cupboard and forget about.[3] The report’s authors concluded that appropriate recycling infrastructure should be developed, supported by policy instruments such as research and development, economic incentives and capacity-building activities.

• www.resourcepanel.org
• www.unep.org