E-Waste in Bangladesh
As the co-founder and technical lead of Recycle Bangladesh (now BD Recycle Technologies Limited) from 2015 to 2018, I played a pivotal role in advancing sustainable e-waste management in Bangladesh. Our organization focused on comprehensive Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management and recycling, collaborating with local and global partners to address the growing e-waste crisis. I led the development of innovative processes for extracting valuable metals like gold, copper, and tin from printed circuit boards (PCBs), transforming hazardous waste into reusable resources. This work not only reduced environmental pollution but also contributed to a circular economy by recovering high-value materials for industrial reuse, aligning with Bangladesh’s need for eco-friendly waste solutions.
Additionally, as a research assistant at Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology’s Centre for Environmental and Resource Management (CERM) from September 2017 to August 2018, I contributed to a project funded by the Department of Environment, Government of Bangladesh. My role involved conducting surveys in the informal e-waste sector and estimating waste generation through Materials Flow Analysis. I investigated hydrometallurgical routes for extracting gold, copper, and tin from waste PCBs and RAMs, exploring sustainable methods to recover these metals with minimal environmental impact. Furthermore, I assisted in drafting legislation for e-waste management in Bangladesh, helping to shape policies that promote responsible recycling and address the challenges of informal e-waste handling. These efforts underscored the potential for scalable, eco-friendly solutions to manage Bangladesh’s growing e-waste stream, projected to reach 4.62 million tonnes by 2035.
To read more about the project: Assessment of Generation of E-Waste, Its Impacts on Environment and Resource Recovery Potential in Bangladesh