Raising public awareness on electronic waste as a source of valuable materials (AWARE)
a Wider Society Learning project of
AWARE. Raising public awareness on electronic waste as a source of valuable materials
The aim of the project is to increase the share of waste ending up in official take-back systems instead of losing the resource to waste disposal or incineration plants and collection outside official take-back systems. To achieve that, the project focuses on education and involvement of school children, both to raise the awareness of end-of-life electronics as a resource, and through them to bring the message into families and the society as whole.
Videos
News
Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy obtains Impact Factor of 2,109
In March 2015 the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy (JSM) launched its first issue. Now, just more than 5 years, JSM obtained its first Impact Factor. With a score of 2,109, the journal ranks second among TMS journals for 2019.
Solvometallurgical cobalt recovery from Li-ion battery cathode materials
SOLVOMET/SIM² KU Leuven researchers developed a novel solvometallurgical approach to recover cobalt from Li-ion battery cathode materials. This work was supported by EU H2020 CROCODILE and published in the journal Green Chemistry.
AWARE Workshop – “Welcome to Weeeland and Relight”
On 5th November 2019, within the EIT PROJECT AWARE and specifically WP2 and WP3, the partner Relight organized a Workshop for the University of Trento students and high-school teachers. The session was organized in collaboration with the other project partners...
AWARE Project at webinar “ECONOMIA CIRCOLARE E RIFIUTO”
On 15th May 2020, Aware project was presented by Relight in the on-line academic seminar “ECONOMIA CIRCOLARE E RICICLO”. The webinar was organized by University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB) within the Italian nation project PLS “Piano Lauree Scientifiche Scenza dei...
KU Leuven Institute SIM²: a new take on circular economy
In the first official SIM² interview on the KU Leuven website, SIM² Director Peter Tom Jones explains the new KU Leuven Institute for Metals & Minerals’ view on the Circular Economy, against the background of the Corona pandemic.
Solvometallurgical process for extraction of copper from sulphidic ore minerals
SIM² KU Leuven researchers have developed a new solvometallurgical extraction process to produce copper from sulphidic copper ore minerals (e.g. chalcopyrite), allowing to reduce the eco-footprint of primary copper production.
Does cobalt and copper mining lead to birth defects in DR Congo?
SIM² KU Leuven member Prof. Erik Smolders contributed to a milestone paper in The Lancet Planetary Health. A team of Belgian and Congolese researchers studied the effects of mining-related pollution on newborns in Katanga, DRC.
A new solvent extraction system for lithium purification from brines
SIM² KU Leuven – SOLVOMET researchers have developed a novel solvent extraction system to remove magnesium from lithium-rich solutions, allowing a major reduction of the eco-footprint of lithium recovery from brines.
Mining precious metals at home during the global COVID-19 lockdown?
A BBC Future article featuring Ana Maria Martinez (SINTEF) illustrates that old electronics are domestic mines of precious metals. Martina Orefice (SIM² KU Leuven) provides further background referring to several EU projects.
New video: The Missing Link of the Circular Economy 2.0
“The Missing Link of the Circular Economy 2.0” video shows why the waste of the past cannot be consigned to oblivion. A comprehensive Circular Economy vision should, therefore, find answers for Europe’s 500,000+ landfills.