E-waste not, want not - Why electronic waste is a vital element of the circular economy

Dealing with electronic waste involves everyone along the value chain – it’s not solely the responsibility of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). E-waste also includes components that customers discard throughout an asset’s life cycle—often prematurely. This is where we step in, emphasizing repair, reuse and recycling to extend the usability of the assets, despite defective components. This approach conserves resources and reduces waste.

ABB's commitment to reducing e-waste

We’re working to address the problem of e-waste by implementing innovative programs aimed at promoting circularity and sustainability. Our circular approach covers the whole lifecycle of a product, from design to responsible end-of-life.
Embracing circularity doesn’t just reduce waste—it enhances reliability, cuts costs, and builds resilience in supply chains.

93 percent reduction in e-waste through a Parts Circularity Program

In 2020, ABB's Energy Industries Service launched a Parts Circularity Program focused on the repair, reuse, and recycling of faulty units from their Control System product portfolio. Over a four-year period, this initiative achieved a 93 percent reduction in electronic waste sent to landfills. Specifically, the amount of e-waste decreased from 214.5 kg in 2020 to just 14.2 kg by the end of 2023.

ABB’s Parts Circularity Program isn’t just about waste reduction but also about rethinking the lifecycle of industrial components. We follow a repair-first philosophy, rather than immediately recycling. The program operates by collecting faulty parts from customers and assessing their potential for repair or remanufacturing.

If repairable, these units are refurbished and reintroduced into operation, extending their lifecycle and conserving resources. When parts cannot be repaired, we ensure responsible disposal through collaborations with recycling partners like Stena Recycling in Europe and Ohio Drop Off in the United States. These partnerships provide certified reports detailing the material properties of each part, offering transparency in sustainability reporting.

By extending the lifecycle of electronic components and ensuring proper recycling, we not only reduce environmental impact but also offer economic benefits. Customers participating in the Parts Circularity Program receive incentives for exchanging faulty parts for refurbished or remanufactured ones, providing cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

Shifting towards a circular economy using technology

Our partnership with Repartly addresses the repairs aspect of our circularity approach. Repartly is a German start-up which repairs and refurbishes printed circuit boards (PCBs) from defunct or defective household appliances.

Their sustainable business model aims to shift from a throwaway society to a more circular economy, using our collaborative robots to repair and refurbish electronic circuit boards in household appliances. Three GoFa cobots handle the sorting, visual inspection and precise soldering tasks, enabling the company to enhance efficiency and maintain high quality standards.

Robotic microfactories for data center e-waste

As data centers expand to accommodate advancements in computing, the volume of obsolete equipment rises. In a pioneering effort to tackle this e-waste, ABB Robotics has partnered with U.S. start-up Molg to develop robotic microfactories. These are designed to efficiently disassemble and recycle obsolete electronic components. The robotic microfactories use our advanced robotics and automation technologies to automate the disassembly process, enabling the recovery and reuse of materials like copper, gold, and rare earth metals, minimizing resource depletion. As reports note, just one percent of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste recycling² so this is a step in the right direction. Automation also reduces the risks associated with manual disassembly, such as exposure to toxic substances.

Our Motion Drive Products division recently invested in Molg to optimize manufacturing design and reusability of ABB drives. The investment strengthens our position as a key enabler of a circular economy by re-using, re-purposing, and recycling components.

SwissRTec turnkey recycling plants with ABB motors

To support with the recycling of electronic waste, which remains low at only 40 percent³ recycled in the EU, SwissRTec is designing customer-specific recycling plants for this purpose, which allow a particularly high yield of the raw materials they contain – and relies on ABB electric motors for this purpose.

The two-step process involves vertical shredders, then pulping mills, both of which use ABB motors. Typical composites in this area include e-waste, lithium-ion batteries, cables or circuit board cables or circuit boards as carriers for electronic components. They contain a lot of copper in particular. This valuable metal can be recycled by a plant with the digestion mill.

Meeting the challenge of a global problem

The challenges posed by e-waste are global, necessitating concerted efforts from corporations, governments, and consumers. Our initiatives demonstrate the potential of combining circular economy principles with technological innovation to address this issue effectively. Circularity isn’t just an idealized notion: it creates new business business opportunities and is scalable.

A model of “repair, reuse, and recycle”, makes it possible to mitigate the impact of e-waste, conserve resources, and promote a sustainable industrial ecosystem.

Footnotes

1. Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling

2. Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling | UNITAR

3. E-waste in the EU: facts and figures (infographic) | Topics | European Parliament