Environmental sustainability assessment processes for flat panel displays dismantling

The growing quantity of flat panel displays (FPDs) on the market, combined with rising raw material demand, makes the sustainable management of resulting waste a hot topic. Despite of research often describes innovations in recycling, it often neglects the pre-treatment step. However, it represents a key aspect for the success of the further recovery of valuable fractions, since it affects the integrity of materials, the possible presence of impurities and hazardous substances, but also the sustainability of the whole recycling chain. In this regard, the present paper assesses the sustainability of two options implemented at real scale: a more traditional crushing (followed by magnetic separation) and an innovative solution which combines manual and robotic dismantling, resulting in the separation of high-quality fractions. The analysis, carried out by a life cycle approach, proves the high potential of the innovation from an environmental point of view with emission savings reaching up to 90% in key categories (e.g. climate change). The benefit, confirmed irrespective of the supplied energy mix and the classification of waste resulting from crushing (hazardous or not hazardous), is further highlighted by the possibility to separate high-value fractions, mainly printed circuit boards of three different qualities, based on their valuable metal content. The results represent an important driver towards the implementation of sustainable choices in the field of FPD recycling.