Metal Recycling Efforts

Cisco is piloting DEScycle’s metal recycling technology to test a new, lower-energy approach to recovering valuable materials. Traditional methods rely on extremely high temperatures—often above 1,200°C—which makes them energy-intensive and costly to run. In contrast, deep eutectic solvent (DES) technology operates at much lower temperatures, typically between 50–80°C, while delivering similar or better recovery results.

Rather than melting metals, the process uses specially formulated, non-toxic liquid salts to selectively dissolve and separate metal compounds through controlled chemical reactions. This reduces the need for heat-heavy processing and improves efficiency.

Beyond material recovery, the system also enhances traceability. Each batch produces detailed data on the types of metals processed, how effectively they were recovered, and where they originated—offering greater transparency across the recycling chain.

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