Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced that it is working with Camston Wrather, a sustainable mineral recovery company, to increase efficiency and control within their industry-leading e-scrap recycling operation.
Smart technology is rapidly evolving, leading to increasing rates of obsolescence for computers, cellular phones and other devices, resulting in more than 8.3 million metric tons of e-scrap in the United States each year. While this would typically be discarded into landfills or exported to overseas smelters, Camston Wrather has developed a unique metal recycling facility to recover sustainable resources, removing more than 22 metals – including rare earth minerals, like cobalt and tantalum – from end-of-life electronics. This process reduces the amount of material in landfills and is up to 90% less carbon emitting than traditional mining or smelting methods to produce these elements.
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“Our growing dependence on technology and the rapid evolution of those technologies has led to a significant e-waste problem that is greatly impacting our environment,” said Luke Wray, EVP Business Development and Strategy, Camston Wrather. “We are focused on creating a more sustainable solution to address that challenge, so working with Schneider Electric to optimize our process, increase energy efficiency and lowering its carbon footprint, is critical to our success.”
In 2021, only about 4% of the 8.3 million tons of e-scrap produced in the United States was recycled domestically. The majority of that recycling was done by smelting, a process that uses about 4% of the world’s total energy and produces about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. New innovations, like those pioneered by Camston Wrather, are important to addressing the e-scrap challenge without contributing further to environmental damage.
Camston Wrather chose EcoStruxure Power and Process solutions and services to enhance operational insight and process control, drive efficiency, and reduce energy consumption in their San Diego e-scrap recovery facility. The integrated solution provides greater visibility into their electrical system with power management, unified control, and the flexibility to easily scale, replicate and adjust as their operations grow.
SOURCE: PR Newswire