IIT Madras develops e-waste plant

Researchers at IIT Madras have developed an indigenous pilot plant at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in Tiruchirappalli, India, capable of processing 100 tonnes of electronic waste annually. This plant utilizes a zero-discharge, single-acid process to recover valuable metals such as Copper, Lead, and Tin from bare printed circuit boards (PCBs), which are highly hazardous components of e-waste. The innovation addresses India's significant e-waste challenge, which generates nearly five million metric tonnes annually, and aligns with national initiatives like 'Make in India', the circular economy, and critical minerals security. Professor S. Pushpavanam highlighted the plant's unique features, including its indigenous development and automated, safe operations, demonstrating a scalable model for clean metal recovery.