emew Clean Technologies is a global provider of clean technology solutions for metal recovery and recycling. With a strong focus on sustainability, the company develops advanced technologies to recover high-purity metals from various waste streams, enabling clients to reduce environmental impact while turning waste into a valuable resource. Founded over 30 years ago, emew has grown to become a trusted partner for industries ranging from mining to e-waste and industrial wastewater treatment.
Interview with Alex Barshai, VP Marketing at emew Clean Technologies.
What Are the Main Areas of Activity of the Company?
Alex Barshai: emew operates at the intersection of industrial processing and its core areas include:
- E-waste: Conventional e-waste metal recovery processes, such as electrorefining and smelting, can result in unpredictable outputs, high energy consumption, and costly long-payment settlements. emew’s innovative process simplifies metal recovery from e-waste. It uses a proprietary two-step process of digestion and electrowinning to produce a high-purity copper cathode for sale and regenerating reagents, offering a clean and cost-effective alternative to other e-waste recovery solutions.
- Refinery bleed: Using advanced closed-cell technology, emew’s copper liberators offer a fast, safe and efficient alternative to conventional copper refinery bleed technology. This innovative cell design improves copper and impurity control over a range of concentrations, resulting in a high-grade, saleable copper cathode from the refinery bleed. With improved energy and operational efficiencies, emew delivers simpler processes and better financial returns, while reducing environmental impact.
- Industrial Wastewater: emew’s suite of technology solutions provides an innovative approach to industrial wastewater treatment, focusing on efficient metal recovery and sustainable practices. The technology offers a closed-loop system that not only treats wastewater but also regenerates acid, significantly reducing waste and environmental impact. By incorporating emew’s solutions, businesses can effectively manage copper and other metal contaminants in their wastewater, minimize acid loss, and reduce operational costs. The result is a streamlined process that supports both environmental sustainability and improved financial performance.
- Precious Metals: Conventional precious metal refining methods such as the Moebius cell processing require substantial inventory, maintenance and manpower, leading to increased cost and operational inefficiencies. With emew, bleed solutions are run through a fully automatic electrowinning system to recover pure silver with minimal labour requirements. This completely enclosed system produces high-purity silver from low-concentration feeds, delivering greater financial returns and ESG value while reducing inefficiencies and environmental impact.
- Battery waste: By avoiding SX/IX processes or copper sulfide/iron precipitation, emew offers a safer, more efficient method of copper removal from lithium-ion batteries. This two-step method overcomes challenges related to conventional lithium-ion battery recycling by extracting over 90% of copper selectively from the black mass leachate, transforming it into high-purity copper cathodes for direct use or resale. This on-site solution offers process simplicity, greater financial returns and lower environmental impact.
What’s the News About New Products/Services?
A.B: Recently, emew has unveiled innovations that expand its technology suite and improve operational efficiency.
Key highlights include:
- The company has improved the silver production process using 70% less acid while achieving high-purity outputs. Furthermore, we have developed an automated mini-silver production line, demonstrating our commitment to advancing precious metal recovery technologies.
- In 2024, emew delivered 7 new systems including 3 systems for metal recovery from electronic waste, and are excited to see them in action as they expand our application base and drive production forward.
- The company successfully deployed proprietary advanced copper sensors at six sites worldwide, enhancing real-time monitoring and optimization of copper recovery processes.
- This year, emew deployed four systems featuring the latest cell design, which incorporates fewer components for streamlined operations, reducing maintenance and increasing reliability in metal recovery processes.
What Is the State of the Market Where You Are Currently Active?
A.B: The market for metal recovery and recycling is dynamic and robust. Global demand for high-purity metals is growing, driven by factors such as resource scarcity, increasing e-waste volumes, and stringent environmental regulations. Customers are actively seeking technologies that not only provide cost-effective production but also support sustainability initiatives. As governments and industries worldwide shift toward circular economy models, the market continues to expand with both traditional mining and recycling sectors exploring innovative recovery solutions.
What Can You Tell Us About Market Trends?
A.B: Key market trends include:
- Circular Economy Emphasis: There is a significant push toward recovering and reusing metals to reduce dependence on primary mining.
- Regulatory Drivers: Environmental regulations are increasingly compelling industries to adopt cleaner, more sustainable processing technologies.
- Technological Innovation: Continuous advancements in electrowinning and related processes are driving improvements in recovery efficiency and product purity.
- Growing E-waste Streams: The rapid increase in electronic waste is creating new opportunities for the recovery of precious metals, further fueling innovation in the sector.
- Global Expansion: Market players are expanding geographically to capture emerging opportunities, as seen by recent new facilities and partnerships in diverse regions.