Reports
Published: 12 September 2018

Recovery of Key Metals in the Electronics Industry in the People’s Republic of China

This Insight Report is a collaborative effort between Tsinghua University and the World Economic Forum. It is a baseline study examining the current state of electronics recycling in China with a focus on aluminium, tin, cobalt and rare earths. The study starts to identify some of the critical levers that can lead to a fully circular system, such as e-waste collection, the role of the informal sector and the movement of secondary materials from and to areas of production, and sometimes across special economic zones. It also models the economic opportunity at stake from the materials covered and examines the related policy environment. We hope this report will act as a basis for meaningful collaboration between all the stakeholders needed to move towards a circular electronics system.

This Insight Report is a collaborative effort between Tsinghua University and the World Economic Forum. It is a baseline study examining the current state of electronics recycling in China with a focus on aluminium, tin, cobalt and rare earths. The study starts to identify some of the critical levers that can lead to a fully circular system, such as e-waste collection, the role of the informal sector and the movement of secondary materials from and to areas of production, and sometimes across special economic zones. It also models the economic opportunity at stake from the materials covered and examines the related policy environment. We hope this report will act as a basis for meaningful collaboration between all the stakeholders needed to move towards a circular electronics system.

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