Method and System for Recycling an Electronic Article

Abstract

Disclosed is an environmentally responsible method for recycling electronic waste. The method optimizes the transportation and delivery of electronic waste to a recycling facility utilizing plasma gasification. The method tracks and categorizes the e-waste while billing manufacturers for the electronic waste received for recycling. In the process, the electronic articles are dismantled where certain valuable components are removed and recycled. The remaining e-waste proceeds to the plasma gasification process for metal extraction and gas production.

1 . A method of recycling electronic waste comprising:
 providing an electronic article for recycling;   delivering the article to a recycling facility; and   processing the article using plasma gasification, whereby the article is broken down into elemental components.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a fee is received for recycling the article from a government body. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fee is received from a government body whereby the manufacture, consumer or combinations thereof have contributed to a fund for the cost of recycling the electronic article. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a salable electricity is produced and a carbon credit is received. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an electronic distributor collects the electronic articles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a consumer initiates the delivery of the article to the recycling facility. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic article is provided by a source including a government body, electronic waste recycler and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of dismantling the article. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further including labeling the electronic article whereby valuable components of the electronic article can be identified and removed in the step of dismantling the article. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic article is tracked electronically in a computer database and reported. 
     
     
         11 . A method of recycling electronic waste comprising:
 providing an electronic article for recycling;   tracking the electronic article and reporting the article including the manufacturer and components of the electronic article;   delivering the article to a recycling facility;   receiving a fee for recycling the article from a government body;   dismantling and sorting the article; and   processing the article using plasma gasification, whereby the article is broken down into elemental components.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a consumer initiates the delivery of the article to the recycling facility via a web based interface whereby by the article is picked up and information is entered into a database including the make and manufacturer of the article. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein electronic manufacturers, electronic distributors and combinations thereof initiate the delivery of the article to the recycling facility. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including the electronic distributors collecting the electronic articles for recycling. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of processing the article using plasma gasification produces metals, syngas and hydrogen gas, electricity and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product for providing recycling information for an article to be recycled, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer usable medium having computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform the steps of determining the manufacturer and make of the article and tracking the article in the recycling process and the computer optimizing the delivery of the article to a recycling facility.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program of  claim 16 , further including the computer determining and reporting components of the article for removal and recycling. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program of  claim 16 , further including the computer determining a pickup of the article for delivery and associated fees received from the manufacturer of the article. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program of  claim 16 , wherein the computer displays and records images of the article to be recycled during the recycling process. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program of  claim 16 , wherein the computer provides images of the destruction and recycled items and the contained hazardous compounds and percentage recycled items.