FURI | Spring 2026

Quantifying the Mechanical Breakdown of E-waste in Laptops

E-waste pollution in 2022 was an estimated 62 million tonnes, with 22.3% being properly accounted for and recycled, meaning the other 77.7% being unaccounted for most likely ends up in landfills and the environment. Between companies and consumers, companies are held to a higher responsibility than consumers, with consumers bearing individual responsibility rather than a pressured one. Within the project, personal products with high refresh rates were selected and broken down mechanically, simulating the primary mode of breakdown for polymers, which encompasses the outside casing protecting the internal electronics. This was testing using a novel mechanical breakdown machine to correlate force to mechanical fragmentation of the e-waste. Results found that major internal part exposure will happen by ( g/(m^2)*s ), and heavy metal release can begin as soon as ( g/(m^2)*s ) after. For future work, the devices and materials should also be tested in a TCLP solution to add in the other sources of breakdown, which may accelerate breakdown, and allow further transport of heavy metals in the system.