2019 is recognised as the International Year of the Periodic Table and while we take a moment to recognise the discoveries and advancements in the field of science since its discovery, the Royal Society of Chemistry want to remind us that there is a finite amount of some of the periodic tables famous elements which are on course to be fully mined in the next 100 years.
Elements in Danger, or #PreciousElements is a campaign highlighting the importance of recycling your old electronic devices and making sure everyone takes responsibility to ensure mined elements do not run out.
So why focus on smart phones and tech products? Electronic items around the home and workplace such as televisions, computers and phones contain large volumes of precious elements, yet the majority of households do not recycle them. The high rates of production coupled with irresponsible disposal of these devices are putting huge strain on the earth’s finite resources and the Royal Society of Chemistry alongside the International Year of the Periodic Table are calling on everyone to stop waste and make a change before it’s too late.
For example, your smart phone, which you most likely upgrade every 18-24 months contains at least 30 different naturally occurring elements including gold, arsenic, indium and copper, and whilst you might end up trading it in or selling it on, most devices end up forgotten in drawers to eventually end up in landfill rather than being responsibly recycled.
Why is it important to recycle? The RSC states that the natural sources of six of these elements used in smart phones are set to run out in the next 100 years with several more under rising threat. These are elements crucial for the technology you use every day but also used in a wide variety of other essential items from fire sprinkler systems to surgical implants. To see for yourself, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) has designed a special version of the periodic table showing the relative abundancy and scarcity of the different elements. Click here to view the table.
Speaking to the BBC in a recent report, Elisabeth Ratcliffe from the RSC explained that in smart phone manufacture metal indium is used in a unique compound called indium tin oxide, which is vital for touch screens, because it conducts electricity and is transparent. "It's also used in solar panels, so we're going to need a lot of it in the future.
"There's not a lot of it in the Earth and you need a kilo of ore to extract just a few milligrams of indium.”
She also added; Most of us will not have heard of tantalum, but it's a highly corrosion-resistant metal that is "perfect for small electronic devices like our phones"
Scientists estimate that indium and tantalum mines, among others, could run out within a century. Meanwhile, our demand for new technology continues to increase.
The Royal Society commissioned an Ipsos MORI survey of 2,535 people which uncovered the facts that 51% of UK households have at least one unused electronic device such as mobile phone, tablet or smart TV and 45% of households have up to five! Of these a staggering 82% have no plans to recycle or sell on their devices with 37% worrying about security, 29% not knowing where to recycle and 69% just keeping them as a ‘back up’.
On their website, Robert Parker, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry said “Chemical scientists are already working to find ground-breaking solutions – by investigating long-term substitutes for rare elements in devices, or by finding new chemical methods to extract precious materials and reuse them – but we all can and must do more”.
So what can be done? The RSC says change needs to take place on a global scale but by just taking a few steps at home can make a real difference.
Reduce: Hold off on the unnecessary upgrades for a year or as long as the tech lasts.
Reuse: Pass on your old device to a relative, sell it on or donate to a charity.
Recycle: Visit recyclenow to find all the recycling options in your area.
For more information on saving precious elements and to download the Royal Society of Chemistry’s shareable infographics visit their website here or to find out about the recycling options in your area please click here.
