Soldering and use of printed circuit boards and their components are big parts of the electronics industry. A lot of metal goes into this process, since a lot of many different kinds of solder alloys are used. However, not all of this material gets used in the process – a lot of it ends up as waste. Solder paste recycling consists of recovery of the metals that get thrown away as waste during these processes. Many other reusable materials are also recovered in the recycle process. In this article, you will read all you need to know about solder paste recycling.

Why recycle solder paste?

There are many reasons to recycle solder dross, apart from it being environmentally friendly. Here is a list of many other reasons for you to recycle waste metal during the soldering process.

• First of all, the solder dross that is created during the soldering process contains a high amount of unused metal in it. When not recycled, this metal is simply getting thrown away unused. By recycling, you are ensuring that there is a reduced amount of metal wastage occurring in your plant.
• Secondly, recycling can save you money. Recycling solder dross will bring you returns in many forms – credits, metal, sale of scrap, etc. There is bound to be a financial benefit in this. For one, you can use the metal recovered from recycling back into your process, as it is more or less as pure as new metal.
• Third, by recycling all components and materials involved in the soldering process, you are helping reduce the burden on this planet – both in the sense of reducing e-waste and reducing metal mining.

What can be recycled?

Electronics manufacturing produces a lot of metallic waste that can be easily recycled. Many companies have already started to implement recycling either by outsourcing it or by getting solutions installed in their factories. Here is a list of things that you can recycle in your soldering plant:

• Metal scraps that result from quality testing and other activities
• Solder dross – lead or lead-free
• Solder paste sticking to stencils or unused during processes
• Circuit boards and other e-waste
• Copper scrap

Many companies offer comprehensive recycling solutions and programs that can benefit your bottom line. Look into solder paste recycling today.