IIT-Madras Establishes Chair To Investigate Urban Mining For Sustainable Circular Economy
Indin Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has established a chair to investigate urban mining for a sustainable circular economy.
R. Ratheesh, director, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has embarked on a mission to develop a systematic approach for the retrieval of critical metals like indium and germanium, alongside metal purification methods, with a particular emphasis on recycling lithium-ion batteries
Notably, India generated approximately 3.2 million tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) in 2019, yet only managed to recycle a mere 17 per cent of this substantial amount. This glaring disparity underscores the considerable room for improvement in environmentally responsible e-waste management practices within the country.
The demand for new energy materials, primarily used in rechargeable batteries, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and high-grade manganese oxide, heavily relies on imports.
The concept of urban mining, deemed vital for reducing our carbon footprint, is gaining prominence as time advances. Experts anticipate that by the year 2050, nearly half of all raw element extraction will transition to urban mining, while the remaining 50 per cent will continue to rely on conventional natural mining methods.
