Copper’s New Journey: From Global Shipments to Local Refining and What It Means for E-Waste

The Coming Copper Crunch

Global demand for copper is on track to double by 2040, driven by electric vehicles, renewable power, electronics and other uses. If this happens, the supply-demand gap will likely increase to the equivalent of today’s total mine production.  Recycled copper will be required to help close this gap. Recycling of Printed-Circuit boards (PCBs) can help close that gap as they contain 15 – 30 % copper by weight, yet much of this metal still ends up in landfills or low-value processing routes. Recovering copper efficiently isn’t just good housekeeping - it unlocks better gold yields.

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Before the Pandemic: “Ship &Smelt”

Until recently, the dominant model was simple: dismantle and shred e-waste, pack it in containers, and send concentrates to a handful of centralized smelters. Most of those smelters rely on copper electro-refining, with only a few running leach-and-electrowin circuits to accelerate precious-metal liberation. The system works at scale but brings long payment cycles, non-homogeneous materials with difficult metal balances, and a higher carbon footprint than localized processing.

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COVID-19: A Shock That Changed theEquation

Lockdowns, soaring freight costs, and border restrictions forced recyclers to rethink distance-based refining. Small collectors struggled with six-month settlement times, while OEMs and governments started prioritizing resource security. The result? A surge of interest in localized refining flowsheets.

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The Rise of Local Alternatives

From Australia’s Sircel to Aurubis in the United States, a growing map of regional refiners complements traditional smelters, helping reduce freight carbon footprint. 

Post-COVID value chains increasingly split e-waste streams: high-grade material to smelters, and mid-grade or mixed batches refined locally via leach-and-electrowin circuits.

Story of one of the localized alternatives: Bioscope Technologies

Bioscope started in2019 with a vision to repatriate critical metals after the Brexit process and pandemic freight costs made PCB exports uneconomic. Backed by Innovate UK grants, the company moved from lab work to a pilot plant in Cambridge and is now scaling to commercial capacity.

Two different flow sheets underpin their approach:

Base case - acid leach and electrowinning

Sulfuric leach +emew electrowinning is suited for copper-rich streams, delivering a smaller footprint per tonne and similarly high current efficiency without acid mist.

Advanced method -bio-leach and electrowinning

Bio-leach + emew electrowinning – ideal for lower-grade feeds, with closed-loop oxidant regeneration and low energy usage.

Currently, BioScope is building capacity and continuing the development of sustainable processes for multiple products while starting the full-scale commercial operation in a new site.

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What This Means for the Value Chain

• Collectors & Pre-Processors can now choose between centralized, onsite, or regional refining based on Capex, logistics, and carbon goals.
• Smelters & Large Refiners are developing ways to enhance traceability, handle smaller lots, and explore service-based models.
• Policymakers see localized capacity as a path to resource security and job creation while tightening     landfill bans.

Key Takeaways

• A mix of local refiners and smelters can deliver speed, traceability, and lower carbon miles.
• Copper can be recovered efficiently, and precious-metal recovery gets easier.
• Modular leach-and-electrowin technologies (like emew) make small-scale plants attainable, even on dilute or impure feeds.
• Collectors, refiners, OEMs, and regulators must collaborate to unlock the full value of e-waste.

Copper’s circular journey is no longer a concept. It’s unfolding in regional hubs worldwide. Understanding this shift will be crucial for anyone looking to provide sustainable and economic recycling options in the future.