IIT Madras extracts valuable metals from e-waste with new technology

Researchers at IIT Madras have designed and developed an indigenous pilot plant capable of processing or recycling up to 100 tonnes of electronic waste annually. The recycling facility is installed at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in Tiruchirappalli that recycles bare printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The plant has been engineered to recover useful metals efficiently while ensuring that the recycling process remains environmentally safe, with no harmful waste released. PCBs are one of the most valuable yet environmentally hazardous components of discarded electronic devices.

The researchers hold that printed circuit boards contain significant amounts of metals such as copper, lead and tin. When thrown in the open, these metals can leach into soil and groundwater, creating long-term environmental damage and serious public health concerns.

Now the IIT Madras technology system uses a single-acid zero-liquid-discharge process to extract these metals. It’s said to be cleaner and more sustainable than many conventional recycling techniques. The technology originated as an internally funded research initiative at IIT Madras and has now progressed from laboratory experiments to a fully operational pilot plant.

The researchers believe that the system is scalable, offering the potential to handle larger volumes of e-waste in the future. The facility is equipped with automated systems and multiple safety features, making it suitable for large-scale deployment.

An Opportunity in Waiting

A recent conference by NITI Aayog revealed that India generated approximately 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste in the financial year 2023–24, yet only about 10% of it is formally recycled. The total economic value embedded in this e-waste is estimated at Rs 51,000 crore, of which nearly Rs 30,600 crore is technically recoverable.

However, significant inefficiencies in the recycling ecosystem result in a loss of more than Rs 21,000 crore, while an additional over Rs 20,000 crore remains locked in materials that current technologies are unable to extract.

Professor S. Pushpavanam, Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, held that the project represents a scalable solution for clean metal recovery amid India’s rapidly growing e-waste problem. He added that the initiative aligns with national priorities concerning circular economy and critical mineral security.