Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Terence Musho, Associate Professor of Engineering, West Virginia University

Critical minerals don’t belong in landfills – microwave tech offers a cleaner way to reclaim them from e-waste

Broken electronics still contain valuable critical minerals. Beeldbewerking/iStock/Getty Images Plus

When the computer or phone you’re using right now blinks its last blink and you drop it off for recycling, do you know what happens?

At the recycling center, powerful magnets will pull out steel. Spinning drums will toss aluminum into bins. Copper wires will get neatly bundled up for resale. But as the conveyor belt keeps rolling, tiny specks of valuable, lesser-known materials such as gallium, indium and tantalum will be left behind.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.