Challenges in Metal Recycling
Top Cited Papers
- 10 August 2012
- journal article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 337 (6095), 690-695
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1217501
Abstract
Metals are infinitely recyclable in principle, but in practice, recycling is often inefficient or essentially nonexistent because of limits imposed by social behavior, product design, recycling technologies, and the thermodynamics of separation. We review these topics, distinguishing among common, specialty, and precious metals. The most beneficial actions that could improve recycling rates are increased collection rates of discarded products, improved design for recycling, and the enhanced deployment of modern recycling methodology. As a global society, we are currently far away from a closed-loop material system. Much improvement is possible, but limitations of many kinds—not all of them technological—will preclude complete closure of the materials cycle.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Will metal scarcity impede routine industrial use?MRS Bulletin, 2012
- The route to resource-efficient novel materialsNature Materials, 2011
- Uncovering the Global Life Cycles of the Rare Earth ElementsScientific Reports, 2011
- A preliminary categorization of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment as secondary metal resourcesWaste Management, 2011
- Facility-level energy and greenhouse gas life-cycle assessment of the global nickel industryResources, Conservation and Recycling, 2010
- Recycling-oriented characterization of small waste electrical and electronic equipmentWaste Management, 2009
- Markov chain modeling of the global technological lifetime of copperEcological Economics, 2008
- The multilevel cycle of anthropogenic leadResources, Conservation and Recycling, 2008
- The energy benefit of stainless steel recyclingEnergy Policy, 2007
- The use of fuzzy rule models to link automotive design to recycling rate calculationMinerals Engineering, 2007