Queen's University Leads £2.9M E-Waste Metal Recovery Project in Malaysia
Queen's University Belfast spearheads a £2.9 million initiative to recover metals from electronic waste in Malaysia, addressing a significant environmental challenge. The project aims to develop sustainable methods to extract critical metals, with Malaysia's e-waste expected to reach 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2030.

Queen's University Belfast is leading a £2.9 million project, iRECYCLE-Malaysia, to recover gold, copper, and rare earth elements from e-waste in Malaysia, supported by £2.3 million in funding. The initiative focuses on developing environmentally friendly extraction methods, utilizing electroleaching and mild leaching to minimize pollution compared to traditional methods.
Malaysia generates approximately 365,000 tonnes of e-waste each year, with projections indicating this could rise to 1.4 million tonnes by 2030. The project includes collaboration with Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and University of Malaya, engaging the informal recycling sector to enhance processing safety.
The upcoming UK-Malaysia symposiums will facilitate discussions on progress and scaling operations. The initiative coincides with Malaysia's ban on e-waste imports, aimed at combating illegal dumping and promoting sustainable practices.




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