Recycling robots to tackle electrical waste

초록

Electrical waste, or e-waste, includes discarded devices, such as computers, smartphones, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and electronic toys. E-waste contains both valuable and toxic materials. It is crucial to manage hazardous e-waste materials in an environmentally friendly manner while preventing secondary and tertiary emissions. Additionally, optimizing the recovery of valuable materials is essential for resource efficiency. This chapter categorizes electrical waste and explains the four main steps in recycling: collection and sorting, disassembly and dismantling, preprocessing, and end-processing. The last part presents how integrating robotic technologies into recycling facilities can significantly improve the recycling efficiency of e-waste with accuracy while minimizing the environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal. Robots are crucial in sorting, separating, disassembling, component recovery, quality control, material handling, and data management, contributing to environmental protection and the responsible management of valuable resources. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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