E-waste
E-Waste
What is E-Waste?
E-waste is a component of discarded electrical and electronic devices, including components like printed circuit boards (PCBs), power supplies, network servers, and communication devices from products such as computers, mobile phones, and communication devices.
Today's resources, transformed into tomorrow's new value.
Korea Zinc creates infinite value in the circular economy through innovative technology
PCB E-waste mainly comes from PC motherboards, electronic board assemblies, network equipment, and communication devices, with PCBs from communication devices accounting for about 43% of the total e-waste generated. Given the shipment volumes of mobile phones—key communication devices—it is evident that communication devices have a significant share in PCB production.
Urban mining in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
As technology in electronics rapidly advances, the volume of related waste is increasing day by day. Korea Zinc recycles electronic waste, such as lithium-ion batteries from smartphones, PCB boards from computers, and network equipment, to extract valuable metals like copper, gold, silver, and palladium. Furthermore, residual electronic waste left after extraction is reused as resources in other industries, helping to delay the depletion of natural resources.
Acquisition of Stake in
IGNEO Holdings
IGNEO is an urban mining company that collects and processes electronic waste in the United States, the world's largest consumer of electronic products. The company utilizes proprietary technology to extract intermediate materials from low-grade electronic waste, which can then be refined into valuable metals such as copper, gold, silver, and palladium. Korea Zinc plans to enhance its current annual copper smelting capacity of 30,000 tons by utilizing high-quality secondary raw materials extracted through IGNEO's proprietary technology, known for its high efficiency and safety. The copper produced will be supplied to its subsidiary, K-ZAM, which is advancing its copper foil business. This will support the production of eco-friendly copper foil, creating synergies with Korea Zinc's troika drive, a core pillar of its secondary battery materials business. Additionally, through IGNEO's electronic waste supply chain, Korea Zinc aims to mitigate raw material supply risks related to copper foil production and explore resource acquisition opportunities for recycled batteries in the secondary battery sector.
