The research team led by Dr Eng. Krzysztof Brody from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow has created innovative methods of recovering precious metals and other valuable elements from old electronic equipment. As part of the scientific and implementation consortium established by AGH in cooperation with a company 2loop Tech, scientists are preparing the technology for recycling renewable energy installations. 

The consortium’s goal is to develop a technology for recycling used PV modules, allowing for the recovery of almost 100% of the elements needed to produce this type of equipment. An international group of researchers is focused on the possibility of full recovery of photovoltaic panels containing elements such as silicon or silver.

The idea of ​​”zero waste” means striving to create a circular economy. One of the ways to accomplish this task is recycling, i.e. recovering raw materials from waste materials in order to use them for the production of new goods. In order to fully meet this demand, each item should be used as a potential source of resources. In this way, it is possible not only to protect the environment from pollution but also to obtain valuable elements, which can be soon depleted, due to the continuous high rate of global economic growth.