Shredder Light Fractions (SLF) from mechanical processing of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are commonly used for energy recovery due to their high intrinsic heat, but it contains valuable metals like copper, tin, lead, zinc, silver, and gold, which cannot be appropriately recovered using these methods. Despite attempts to find a solution for SLF, the only feasible way to recover copper-based metals is by incorporating the material into the copper production chain. Nevertheless, the direct use of SLF in industrial smelters is challenging due to its heterogeneity, high heat value, low density, halogens, and high off-gas formation.

This study explores the potential of using pyrolysis of SLF as a recycling method and the resulting pyrolysed solid product as a reducing agent during the metallurgical recycling of WEEE. Results from a demonstration-scale trial indicate that the process is technically feasible and efficient due to good turbulence, rapid reaction, and high recycling efficiency. It can be concluded that pyrolysed SLF can be used as a substitute for fossil-reducing agents or as an energy source in the copper industry. This approach has the potential to reduce waste generation, promote the circularity of metals present in the shredder residue and reduce the use of fossil resources.