People Urged to Dig Out Unwanted Electricals to Tackle
Experts say copper demand is outstripping production – driven in part by sustainable energy projects and electric cars – and the mining process can have devastating environmental and social consequences.
An analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence found that better recycling of electrical goods could help meet that additional demand. “We need to start ‘urban mining’ and help protect the planet and nature from the harmful impacts of mining for raw materials by valuing and using instead what we have already. People often don’t realise that cables and electricals contain valuable materials which, if binned or stashed, everything inside them is lost. Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused and recycled and there’s somewhere near you to do it.”
The group is now urging everyone to check its recycling locator for their nearest facility. (Nearest to Arnside is Carnforth Recycling Centre which accepts Electrical Appliances, Batteries and Light bulbs).
Grant Sporre, senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said the world was facing severe shortages of copper within the next five to 10 years. “The building of renewable power generation in the form of wind and solar farms, and the switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric, could keep copper demand growing at 2.5 to 3% per annum. Better recycling practices and efficiencies will be needed to close this gap.”
Cables represent one of the UK’s biggest e-waste challenges, according to research, with UK households throwing away or holding on to an average of 23 cables. Research by the Critical Minerals Association has identified that they contain at least 20% copper – meaning that across all UK households, cables alone could contribute 3,251 tonnes of metal.
The Royal Society of Chemistry [RSC] has calculated 347,000 tonnes of copper would be needed to build the required number of wind turbines and solar panels by 2030. “The UK needs to wake up to just how important copper is in achieving our greener future,” said Izzi Monk, RSC policy adviser for the environment. “We are potentially facing imminent and substantial supply concerns where we won’t be able to meet the global demand for this vital material. That’s why we’re calling for government to commit to a strategic, joined-up approach to materials that considers these supply risks.”
Taken from an article in The Guardian