Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life. As a result, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) has become the fastest-growing sector of solid waste, with 40-50 million tonnes generated globally each year. Only 15-20% is recycled; the rest ends up in landfills, riverbanks and deserts, or is exported to Third-World countries. In 2014, Ontario recycled 71,018 tons, which is more than 50% of total e-waste recycled in Canada (OESEPRA). Traditionally, old and outdated electronics, when they are not able to be reused as a whole or for their parts, are shredded to liberate the parts for materials recovery. The existing processes for sorting the shredded materials based on their types, mainly metals and plastics, are inefficient, which results in a significant loss of potential revenue.In this feasibility study, the focus will be on developing a novel robotic sorting technology for shredded electronics. It is expected that the result of this project will be a thorough cost and benefit analysis for utilization of the robotic technology and give the electronic recycling companies a choice for adopting advanced technology to improve their productivity.