CIWM Early Careers Ambassador Sadish Oumabady explores how exciting project in Malaysia is developing new ways to recover critical materials and advance the circular economy.
Once viewed simply as a growing waste challenge, electronic waste – e-waste or WEEE – is increasingly recognised as a valuable resource in terms of precious metals and critical minerals. Researchers and industry are developing new ways to recover critical materials and advance the circular economy.
Let’s explore how the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, an international collaboration led by Professor Peter Nockemann between researchers in the United Kingdom and Malaysia, aims to develop more sustainable approaches for recovering valuable resources from e-waste.
Every year, the world generates more than 60 million tonnes of electronic waste, making e-waste one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Hidden within this discarded equipment are valuable metals and critical raw materials that are essential for modern manufacturing, digital technologies and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Yet much of this resource remains underutilised, lost through inadequate collection, disposal or inefficient recycling practices.
As countries seek to strengthen resource security and reduce dependence on primary extraction, e-waste is increasingly being viewed not simply as a waste management challenge, but as a strategic resource opportunity.
Unlocking that opportunity will require innovation, collaboration and a more circular approach to how electronic products are designed, used and recovered.
A global challenge requiring global solutions
Electronic devices have become indispensable to modern life. From smartphones and laptops to renewable energy systems and electric vehicles, our reliance on technology continues to grow.
At the same time, rapid technological advancement and changing consumer behaviour are shortening product lifespans, resulting in increasing volumes of discarded electronics.
E-waste presents a unique challenge because of its complex composition. While many products contain recoverable materials, extracting them safely and efficiently remains technically demanding.
Printed circuit boards (PCBs), found in almost every electronic device, illustrate both the challenge and the opportunity. Although they represent only a small proportion of e-waste by weight, they contain a concentration of valuable materials that can exceed those found in some natural ores.
Recovering these resources offers significant environmental and economic benefits. It can reduce the need for primary mining, lower associated environmental impacts and contribute to more resilient material supply chains. However, achieving this requires not only technological innovation but also effective policies, stakeholder engagement and international knowledge exchange.
A UK parliamentary publication revealed that around 40% of these e-wastes are illegally exported to other countries, and the current national recycling rate stands at 44.6% on average.
Building a partnership across borders
Funded through the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, the project is led by Queen’s University Belfast in partnership with Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Petronas.
Bringing together expertise in engineering, chemistry, environmental science and social science, the consortium is working with industry and policy stakeholders to address the technical, economic and societal dimensions of e-waste management.
What distinguishes the project is its recognition that creating a circular economy for electronics requires more than improved recycling technologies. Sustainable change depends on understanding entire value chains, connecting research with industry needs, and developing solutions that are both environmentally beneficial and commercially viable.
During its first year (2025-26), the project established collaborative research infrastructure, strengthened partnerships between UK and Malaysian institutions and engaged with a wide range of stakeholders.
Workshops, symposia and public engagement activities in Kuala Lumpur and Belfast have helped foster dialogue on the growing importance of resource recovery and circular economy approaches for electronic products.
From laboratory research to practical circular solutions
At the centre of the research programme is the development of innovative methods for recovering valuable materials from waste electronics, particularly printed circuit boards.
Researchers are investigating greener chemical and biological recovery techniques that could recover metals, such as copper and gold, while reducing reliance on energy-intensive processes and hazardous chemicals.
The project is also exploring improved approaches for managing plastics and resin-containing materials found in electronic products. These fractions are often difficult to recycle and can create environmental problems if poorly managed.
By developing cleaner separation and recovery processes, the project aims to increase the circularity of both metallic and non-metallic components of e-waste.
A key priority is ensuring that promising scientific discoveries can be translated into real-world applications. Researchers are examining how individual technologies can be integrated into practical recycling systems capable of operating at commercial scale. This focus helps bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial implementation.
Importantly, sustainability considerations are embedded throughout the research process. Lifecycle assessment, techno-economic analysis and materials flow studies are being used to evaluate environmental impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, resource efficiency and economic performance.
This evidence-based approach helps identify solutions that are not only technically effective but also environmentally and financially sustainable.
Beyond recycling: Building a circular electronics economy
While recovery technologies play an important role, recycling alone cannot deliver a circular economy. A more systemic approach is needed, one that considers the entire lifecycle of electronic products.
Extending product lifetimes through repair and refurbishment, designing products for easier disassembly and recovery, and strengthening markets for secondary materials can all help reduce dependence on geological resources. These approaches not only improve resource efficiency but also create economic opportunities, support innovation and enhance supply chain resilience.
For the UK and many other countries, this is becoming increasingly important as demand grows for the critical materials needed to support digital infrastructure, renewable energy technologies and net-zero ambitions.
Aligning with the targets of UK critical mineral strategy could help to take a leading role in developing e-waste recycling infrastructure. E-waste represents a largely untapped domestic resource that could contribute to meeting these challenges while reducing environmental pressures associated with primary extraction.
Collaboration for a circular future
The transition to a circular economy requires a shift in how society views waste. E-waste should no longer be regarded solely as an end-of-life management problem but as a valuable resource stream capable of supporting sustainable economic development.
By combining expertise across disciplines, sharing knowledge between countries and engaging stakeholders throughout the value chain, such partnerships can accelerate the development of practical and scalable circular economy solutions.
The challenge of e-waste is global, but so too is the opportunity. Through collaboration, innovation and evidence-based decision-making, today’s electronic waste can become tomorrow’s resource, helping to build a more resilient, sustainable and circular future.
