Urban mining is an innovative process that allows the recovery of high-value materials, such as metals, plastics, and electronic components, from discarded devices.
This practice focuses on extracting resources from technological waste instead of obtaining them from nature, reducing environmental impact and promoting a regenerative model.
Reusable elements include:
– Cell phones and computers.
– Appliances and batteries.
## Reciclarg and the sustainable cluster Mendoza Regenera
Reciclarg is a reference company in recycling and recovery of electronic waste, integrated into Mendoza Regenera, a sustainable hub that promotes economic development with an environmental focus.
In addition to Reciclarg, the cluster includes:
– Agrojusto, a trading platform for sustainable producers.
– Portfolio Finanzas, experts in ecological financing.
– GenB Economía, a consultancy in measuring Carbon Footprint.
## Impact and challenges of urban mining
Reciclarg has been promoting urban mining for 15 years, analyzing the rate of electronic waste collection globally and locally.
Some relevant data:
– Worldwide, the WEEE recovery is less than 3%.
– In Argentina, it does not reach 1%, generating 364 million kilograms of electronic waste per year.
– In Mendoza, 16.3 million kilograms of WEEE are produced annually.
However, Reciclarg only recovers 10,000 kilograms per month, which is less than 0.06 kilograms per person per year.
## Campaigns and environmental awareness
Reciclarg has developed collection actions in Mendoza, managing to recover between 5,000 and 10,000 kilograms of WEEE in various initiatives.
Furthermore, the company works on environmental education, promoting a circular economy and extending the lifespan of devices.
## Benefits of urban mining and the circular economy
The recovery and reuse of WEEE offer multiple advantages:
– Reduction of pollution and waste generation.
– Energy saving, avoiding intensive industrial processes.
– Green job creation in logistics and manufacturing.
– Innovation in sustainable design, transforming waste into useful products.
– Resource valorization, reintegrating materials into the economy.
– Strengthening environmental awareness, promoting responsible consumption.
## The process of recycling and reusing WEEE
The stages include:
1. Collection in clean points or municipal campaigns.
2. Classification according to device type and materials.
3. Disassembly to extract recyclable parts.
4. Recovery of metals (copper, gold, aluminum) and plastics.
5. Reuse and upcycling, integrating materials into new production cycles.
## Mendoza, a sustainable destination
Mendoza Regenera aims to position the province as a leader in sustainable tourism, incorporating management indicators for ecological traceability.
The cluster also offers carbon-neutral tourist packages, including options for transportation, accommodation, gastronomy, and responsible products.
Urban mining not only redefines the management of electronic waste but also drives the green economy and planet care, transforming waste into opportunities.
