Last spring
Resource Recycling published an article following WR3A research into leaded silicate mining. Long before my days as a regulator (Massachusetts DEP 1992-99) I had noticed how recycling happens in cities where property values (NIMBY) made compliance expensive. Virgin mining and forestry, while far more damaging and polluting, happened farther away from property values, and was thus less regulated.
Here in Ghana, we are looking at lead and zinc mining streams as a way to "piggy back" CRT glass back to
secondary primary ore refiners. Rather than try to construct a "takeback" program aimed at manufacturers (popular because they are extremely costly, charging high fees in a bargain with Planned Obsolescence to squash the secondary market), merely cite the "circular economy" and toss the CRT tubes back into containers bearing Pb Ores. Africa mines primary leaded silicates for export to refiners in wealthy - and less wealthy (China, India) - nations. And some of those ores are chemically identical to CRT glass.
And there is no "EPA-EU" "Waste" "speculative accumulation" paperwork or R2 or E-Steward #bs to make it economically unfeasible. I keep hearing in the west that CRT glass is "impossible" to recycle in Africa, a continent where primary ores are frequently the number one export. This is a clear case of the EU and USA shooting itself in the foot, and then demanding Africa, Asia, South America follow "equivalent practices" prior to engaging in strategic metals trade.
The difference between recycling and mining is largely an image problem. It doesn't take much imagination to solve problems like CRT glass recycling markets. It means being willing to listen to people outside of your "circular economy" box.
