Some overarching drivers impact the sector: ● ● The difficulty (mechanical and chemical) of extracting individual high-value materials from a complex manufactured end-of-life product (Figure 23); ● ● The low concentration of high-value materials; ● ● The vast range of embedded materials; ● ● The hazardous, reactive and/or toxic nature of many of these materials; ● ● The low profitability of unsubsidized broad-based recycling; ● ● The significant push-back from e-waste destination countries against future processing; ● ● The exponential increase in e-waste volumes as the global energy economy transitions; ● ● Landfill charges are low and do not reflect environmental, zoning or social impacts. Early recognition of these issues came from the United Nations, resulting in the development of governance positions on the practice of international “trade” in e-waste. 55 The principles of this Basel Convention on the movement and disposal of hazardous wastes supports the safe domestic recycling of all Australian (and imported) waste, including e-waste. It is important that waste is reframed from being a negative and useless product to a source of raw materials and of value. New technologies have transformed the entire waste process spectrum and there is the opportunity to capture this value locally. Figure 23 sets out the value chain where recycling can be conducted.
55 United Nations Environment Program (2014), Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, http://www.basel.int/Portals/4/Basel%20Convention/docs/text/ BaselConventionText-e.pdf . (Accessed: 01 May 2018)
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