The RETURN Process
Technologies to turn Europe’s E-Waste into a Strategic Resource.
We are not just recycling electronics; we are rebuilding the value chain. By integrating advanced artificial intelligence, green chemistry, and blockchain traceability, RETURN transforms e-waste from a burden into Europe’s most secure source of critical raw materials.
Our process replaces the “shred-and-burn” approach of traditional smelting with a precise, low-energy, and fully digital circular ecosystem.
The RETURN Process · Prologue
A burden, or a strategic resource?
Europe discards millions of tonnes of electronics every year. RETURN rebuilds the value chain to turn that waste stream into Europe's most secure source of critical raw materials.
Step 01 · Intelligent E-Waste Sorting
Identifying value before processing.
Printed circuit boards are extracted from laptops, PCs and small household appliances. High-value chips and RAM are removed for resale; the remaining boards are sorted into value-based fractions for further processing.
Step 02a · Digital Classification
AI-driven material analysis.
For items that cannot be reused, vision systems and metals analysis build a digital model of every board — its exact material composition — so recovery can target high-value areas with unprecedented accuracy.
Step 02b · Smart Sorting & Depopulation
Precision disassembly.
No shred-and-burn. Mechanical component depopulation lifts specific parts from the base board — each component treated according to its value, not its volume.
Step 03 · Metal Recovery — The DES Core
Green chemistry below 100 °C.
The heart of RETURN: Deep Eutectic Solvents — biodegradable, low-hazard liquid salts — dissolve and recover precious metals at low temperature, replacing high-temperature smelting furnaces entirely.
Step 04 · Metals Refining
High-purity output.
Recovered metals are refined back to solid state at industrial-grade purity — ready to re-enter European manufacturing.
Step 05 · Digital Product Passport & Marketplace
Trust, traceability, transparency.
Every output carries a digital materials passport — provenance, quality and sustainability attributes — underpinning verified sales on the Digital Marketplace, where buyers can review full material specifications.
Supporting Steps · Lifecycle & Circularity Assessment
Every gram accounted for.
Across the entire process, each material stream is assessed for environmental impact, energy intensity, circularity performance and safety — verified traceability, aligned with the Critical Raw Materials Act.
From e-waste
to strategic resource.
Loading the 3D engine…
Step 01
Intelligent E-Waste Sorting To Obtain PCBs
Identifying Value Before Processing
Before recycling begins, we focus on maximising the value of incoming ewaste. Printed
circuit boards (PCBs) are extracted from higherend electronics such as laptops, PCs, and
small household appliances. Highvalue components, including chips and RAM, are removed
for resale. The remaining PCBs are then sorted into valuebased fractions for further
processing.
Step 02a
Digital Classification
AI-Driven Material Analysis
For items that cannot be reused, we move to accurate analysis. Using advanced vision systems and metals analysis, we are creating digital models of the Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). This step identifies the exact material composition of the waste stream, allowing us to target high-value recovery areas with unprecedented accuracy.
Step 02b
Smart Sorting & Depopulation
Precision Disassembly
Unlike bulk shredding, we treat e-waste with precision. We are developing mechanical component depopulation to remove specific parts from the base boards.
Step 03
Metal Recovery (The DES Core)
Green Chemistry to Recover Precious Metals
This is the heart of the RETURN innovation. We replace high-temperature smelting furnaces with Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) – biodegradable, low hazard liquid salts that allow dissolution and subsequent recovery of metals at low temperatures (<100°C).
Step 04
Metals Refining
High-Purity Output
The recovered metals will undergo a refining process to be returned to their solid state with industrial-grade purity. The focus in RETURN is on high purity Copper, Silver, Palladium and Gold.
Step 05
Digital Product/Material Passport & Digital Market Place
Trust, Traceability & Transparency
The recovered metals will carry a digital materials passport that links key information, such as provenance, quality, sustainability attributes, and relevant manufacturing metrics, directly to each output material product.
These passports will underpin sales on the Digital Marketplace, where prospective buyers can review material specifications and, subject to appropriate access permissions, explore deeper technical and sustainability data associated with the recovered metals.
Supporting Steps
Lifecycle & Circularity Assessment
Impact, Traceability & Environmental Sustainability
Beyond recovery and refining, RETURN integrates a structured lifecycle and circularity assessment layer across the entire process. Each material stream is evaluated for environmental impact, energy intensity, circularity performance, safety standards, and overall supply chain value.
This step ensures transparent sustainability metrics, verified traceability, and regulatory alignment – including compliance readiness with frameworks such as the Critical Raw Materials Act.
Our Mission
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
We don’t just claim sustainability; we quantify it. By replacing high-energy smelting with precision chemistry and digital intelligence, RETURN delivers measurable benefits for the environment, the economy, and European strategic autonomy.
Carbon Reduction
Traditional e-waste smelting is carbon-intensive, generating approx. 38 tonnes of CO2 for every kilogram of gold recovered. RETURN’s low-temperature DES process slashes this footprint significantly. The Return Project will demonstrate carbon reduction resource efficiency and economic viability for this paradigm shift in metals recycling – contact us to find out more about our metrics.
Resource Efficiency
Current industrial standards often accept metal recovery rates of around 80%, losing valuable trace elements in the process. RETURN targets a recovery rate of >99% for gold, silver, palladium, and copper. Furthermore, our closed-loop chemical system recycles its own solvents, ensuring that chemical waste is negligible compared to the toxic slag produced by smelters
Economic Viability
The RETURN project aims to promote large-scale sustainability by deploying capital-light, modular, decentralised facilities. This will directly address the significant investment required for new smelters, which can cost over €1 billion per site and have high energy demands and problematic permitting cycles.