中国电子工业关键金属的回收（英文版）.pdf

Insight ReportRecovery of Key Metals in the Electronics Industry in the Peoples Republic of China An Opportunity in CircularitySeptember 20182 An Opportunity in CircularityContentsWorld Economic Forum91-93 route de la CapiteCH-1223 Cologny/GenevaSwitzerlandTel.: +41 (0)22 869 1212Fax: +41 (0)22 786 2744Email: contactweforumweforumWorld Economic Forum 2018 All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system.Prepared by: Tsinghua University School of EnvironmentPrepared for: The Platform for Accelerating the Circular EconomyForeword 3Executive summary 51. Uncovering the circular potential for Chinas e-waste 7Mapping the electronics life cycle 8Estimating waste generation with the lifespan model 92. Analysis of the current flows of aluminium, tin, cobalt and rare earths in Chinas electronics sector 10Aluminium (Al) 11Tin (Sn) 13Cobalt (Co) 14Rare earths (REs) 163. Key findings from the material flow analysis 17Three critical junctures along the waste value chain that determine recycling rates 17Circular potential of the four metal groups Al, Sn, Co and REs 17Environmental benefits of metal recycling 184. The state of Chinas recycling industry 19Informal sector collection and recycling 19Extended producer responsibility as the basis of the formal recycling system for WEEE 20Growth in formal recycling: From 36 to 109 registered enterprises 215. Chinas policy environment for e-waste 24Recent top-down development of Chinas recycling sector 24WEEE management regulatory framework 25New developments in the circular economy: Extended producer responsibility plan 26New developments in the circular economy: Guiding action plan 27Transboundary flows of waste: Increasingly regulated 28The special case of bonded zones: Regulatory mechanisms 29Conclusion 29Endnotes 303An Opportunity in CircularityForewordElectronic devices are a crowning point of human ingenuity. They encapsulate the ability to manipulate elements to create a range of products from personal computers to smartphones that are having a vast, positive impact on peoples lives and, more broadly, on society. The number of electronic devices is growing exponentially; in 2015, connected devices were expected to increase from about 10 billion to 25-50 billion globally by 2020.1Most of the growth is coming from emerging regions and will bring connectivity, increased quality of life and convenience to billions of people.This huge increase in electronic devices will have an impact. These devices source a large quantity of metals and materials from across the periodic table, the supply of which can be volatile and subject to scarcity. Moreover, the devices become waste when their useful life comes to an end. Electronic waste, while not the largest waste stream, is the fastest growing waste globally.2This waste has significant economic value. It contains many high-value and, in some cases, scarce materials, such as gold, platinum, cobalt, rare earths, and high quantities of aluminium and tin. The United Nations estimates that each year, $52 billion worth of electronic waste is thrown away, with only 13% recycled. This represents an incredible economic opportunity,3not to mention the further benefits of a secure supply of critical materials. In many cases, however, they can contain toxic substances that are dangerous for those working in the industry and for the general population. Recycled metals are also two to ten times more energy efficient than metals smelted from virgin ore. In 2015, the extraction of raw materials accounted for 7% of the worlds energy consumption, meaning that moving towards the use of more secondary raw materials in production could help considerably in reaching the targets set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change.4Increasingly governments and companies are moving to a new model of doing business the circular economy. In it, nothing becomes waste and all products, components and materials are continuously cycled through the economy, maximizing their value at all times. A positive circular vision for the electronics industry would include products designed for longevity, repair and disassembly to facilitate recycling, and from which base materials can be constantly reused in new products rather than discarded in landfill or extracted under hazardous conditions. Companies could take back their products into their manufacturing stream in a “closed-loop approach”, and any waste from manufacturing would be reintegrated into products. The benefits of such a system for jobs, economic growth and supply of critical materials are potentially vast.A number of leading electronics companies are committing to the circular economy and taking steps to change business models and product design, as well as setting targets to integrate recycled materials. Governments are also taking a lead; for example, the Government of China has set targets to source 20% of raw materials for new electronic products from recycled content by 2025 and to recycle 50% of electronic waste.What is clear, however, is that capturing this economic and environmental opportunity will require unprecedented levels of innovation and collaboration. The distributed nature of electronic device production and use; the policy frameworks governing the flow and use of secondary materials; the economics of material recovery as well as the artisanal nature of waste collection and processing in many emerging markets, are all challenges that need to be collectively addressed by a broad range of stakeholders. Multinationals, supply chain actors, regulators, recyclers, universities and consumers all have a role and a responsibility in this effort.4 An Opportunity in CircularityAs the global manufacturing hub for electronic products, producing some 39% of the worlds electronics and 70% of its mobile phones,5China is the key link in the global electronics manufacturing value chain. The key to unlocking a circular future for electronics therefore lies in China. Thus, progress on challenges, however seemingly small, will have global ramifications. This Insight Report is a collaborative effort between Tsinghua University and the World Economic Forum. It is a baseline study examining the current state of electronics recycling in China with a focus on aluminium, tin, cobalt and rare earths. The study starts to identify some of the critical levers that can lead to a fully circular system, such as e-waste collection, the role of the informal sector and the movement of secondary materials from and to areas of production, and sometimes across special economic zones. It also models the economic opportunity at stake from the materials covered and examines the related policy environment. We hope this report will act as a basis for meaningful collaboration between all the stakeholders needed to move towards a circular electronics system. Zongguo WenDirector, Tsinghua University Centre for Industry and Circular EconomyPeoples Republic of ChinaDominic WaughrayHead, Centre for Global Public Goods World Economic Forum 5An Opportunity in CircularityThis joint study by Tsinghua University (China) and the World Economic Forum addressed three major research areas to assess the potential for recovery of key metals in the electronics industry. First, four key metal groups prevalent in electronic products aluminium (Al), tin (Sn), cobalt (Co) and rare earth elements (RE) were analysed for their circular potential. (The term “circular” defines systems where nothing becomes waste and all products, components and materials are continuously cycled through the economy, maximizing their value at all times.) Material flow analyses were conducted for the four groups, with a projection of their market value for recycling. Second, Chinas electronics industry was analysed, including a breakdown of recycling capacity by company and region. Third, the policy environment for electronics recycling was discussed, focusing on macro targets and waste flows through bonded zones. Some of the major points from this study include the following:- China has become the global centre for both the production and consumption of electronics, a key driver in the growing demand for materials and the increasing production of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).- In 2014, only $160 million of material value (of a potential $1.3 billion worth of materials) was recovered by the formal recycling industry. This potential is expected to rise to $4.4 billion by 2030.- The Chinese government has ambitious targets for recycling, including sourcing 20% of raw materials for new electronic products from recycled content as well as recycling 50% of all WEEE by 2025. The plan is novel as it targets production-side issues, such as eco-design, and increases the use of recycled materials. In addition, it emphasizes the use of new technology (the internet of things) and e-commerce supply chains. Leading electronics companies also have significant internal targets for incorporating raw materials into their products. - To support achieving these goals, this study serves as a baseline and overview of the current state of recycling for the four key metal groups. Recycling rates vary among them, ranging from 10.7% for aluminium to 6.1% for tin, 0.6% for cobalt and less than 1% for rare earths. - Mixing various scraps of aluminium often produces a grade too low for the manufacture of high-end electronic goods, such as mobile phones, creating a significant barrier to circular sourcing of materials.- Metal in WEEE can be difficult to recover. For example, recovery rates for cobalt are only 30%, the rest being lost in processing, and less than 1% for rare earths. The technology for recovering these metals is still in its infancy.- The informal (unregulated) sector dominates Chinas waste from electrical or electronic equipment (e-waste). On average across the four metals, 78% of waste was collected by the informal sector. Many of these metals are still treated but often in a rudimentary manner, without measures to protect neither the health and safety of workers nor the environment. The quality of the recycled material is also significantly lower.- The industrialization of recycling to engage the informal sector is therefore a key goal to move towards a more circular system of electronics production. Recycling capacity will need to grow by 100% to reach the Chinese governments 2025 target of recycling 50% of WEEE.- Due to low metal prices and high recovery costs, waste metals are often stockpiled rather than recycled in anticipation of future regulatory and economic incentives. The government is addressing this with new policy measures.- Government incentives have led to a large uptake in registered (formal) recycling enterprises, whose number increased from 36 in 2012 to 109 in 2017 with an annual recycling capacity of 4.2 million tonnes of WEEE.Executive summary6 An Opportunity in Circularity- The WEEE subsidy system uses extended producer responsibility to fund proper waste management and recycling of WEEE. As of 2016, however, the WEEE treatment fund had a four-year running deficit of about RMB 6 billion (Chinese renminbi), showing a lack of long-term financial sustainability.- The State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission and five key government ministries are involved in managing and enforcing Chinas WEEE collection and treatment. Those ministries are: the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration of Taxation, the General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. - Two recent major policy pieces aim to foster a circular system for electronic products: the Extended Producer Responsibility System Implementation Plan (2017) and the Circular Development Leading Actions (2017).- While some restrictions and inconsistencies in enforcement exist, policies on importing waste from bonded zones broadly allow for the import of non-hazardous wastes, especially those that can be reused. However, some enterprises find it difficult to transport scrap material into the mainland for closed-loop recycling a barrier to increasing circularity, as many large manufacturers produce products in bonded zones. Inconsistent enforcement of policy concerning waste flows into China continues to be an issue for local government.7An Opportunity in CircularityOver the past two decades, Chinas growing economy has increasingly taken a leading role in electronics, with rapid development across the entire value chain. It has a developed infrastructure in mining and the production of raw materials, and now supplies 46% of global aluminium6and 85% of rare earths.7Even so, China still relies on imports of certain scarce metals, such as cobalt and zinc. Raw materials are used to produce electronic goods, in which China has become a global hub. Its global market share of manufactured electronic goods (by volume) has reached 39%,8and in some sectors it dominates, such as the manufacturing of air conditioners (80% global share) and mobile phones (70%).9About one-third of its electronic goods are exported, with a significant portion to the United States and Europe.10,11Altogether, Chinese exports of electronic machinery totalled $544 billion in 2015.12Concurrently, demand for these products has also grown rapidly in China. In 2012, China surpassed the United States to become the largest market for personal computers.13Chinas pattern of increasing consumption, however, has also led to increased generation of waste. Of that, waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or e-waste, is some of the most difficult to deal with, and can have serious environmental effects. In this respect, Chinas State Council, the chief administrative authority, has set clear targets to recycle 40% of e-waste by 2020 and 50% by 2025. Additionally, a target was set to increase the use of recycled materials in producing electronics to 20% by 2025.14Recycling e-waste has two major benefits. For one, e-waste represents a major opportunity for resource recovery, being rich in valuable metals, including gold and platinum, and in concentrations up to 50 times that of mineral ores.15Chinas WEEE had a recycling potential estimated at $16 billion in 2010, which is anticipated to reach $73 billion by 2030 due to the increasing demand for electronics.16Second, e-waste pollutant discharges have high concentrations of toxic substances (chromium VI, cadmium, brominated flame retardants).17If left unchecked, they can adversely affect human and environmental he