LONDON: A new study has found that unused or discarded electrical appliances contain tens of millions of dollars worth of copper that could help meet the growing demand for the metal.
Research by MaterialFocus’s campaign Recycle Your Electrical found that UK households currently own 1.3 billion electrical appliances that are either unused or thrown away. These devices include more than 627 million wires, estimated to contain more than 38,000 tons of copper worth about $350 million.
The research underscores Bloomberg Intelligence’s assessment that copper could be used to meet growing global demand for the metal.
Meanwhile, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, 347,000 tonnes of copper is needed to make wind turbines and solar panels by 2030.
That’s why the Recycle Your Electrical campaign is launching a Great Cable Challenge on Electrical Waste Day, convincing people to recycle one million cables to help reduce electrical waste. Also help in developing green technologies (eco-friendly technologies).