Today, electronic waste (e-waste) represents one of the fastest-growing waste streams worldwide, while also containing highly valuable materials. Printed circuit boards and mobile phone screens contain high concentrations of copper, silver, gold, palladium, indium, rare earth elements, and other strategic and critical metals that are essential for modern industry. Despite this, a significant portion of these materials remains unrecovered or is lost through inefficient processing methods. Inadequate collection and incomplete recycling not only place a burden on the environment but also represent a missed opportunity for resource recovery in Europe.

The SURE RECYCLE project addresses these challenges through the development of new and more sustainable approaches. Instead of relying on energy-intensive, chemically demanding, and often insufficiently selective conventional processes such as pyrometallurgy, traditional hydrometallurgy, and bioleaching, the project develops innovative solutions based on advanced materials—magnetic nanocomposites functionalized with biopolymers.

These materials enable the simultaneous extraction and adsorption of valuable metals from waste fractions of printed circuit boards and mobile phone screens, followed by magnetic separation for reuse and upgrading into value-added products such as alloys and sensors.

A distinctive feature of the project is its integration of raw material recovery with environmental protection. The developed materials will also be used as electrochemical sensors for detecting endocrine-disrupting compounds in the environment. As a result, the project addresses not only the principles of the circular economy but also broader environmental challenges.

Duration: 1 March 2026 – 28 February 2029

Coordinator: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor (FS UM) – Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers (LCPP)

Partners:

• Surovina

• Laboratory for Materials Processing

• Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor (FKKT UM)

• Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) – Department of Materials Synthesis and Nanostructured Materials

The project was selected for co-financing under the Public Call for the (Co-)Financing of Research Projects for 2025.