E-SCRAP Prize

The Electronics Scrap Recycling Advancement Prize (E-SCRAP) is a $3.95M challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). The prize aims to stimulate innovative approaches that reduce the costs and environmental impact of critical material recovery from electronic scrap (e-scrap).

E-scrap—which includes mobile phones, home appliances, medical or office equipment, and anything else powered by electricity—represents the fastest growing waste stream globally, with e-scrap generation expected to double between 2014 and 2030. Only 17.4% of e-scrap was collected and recycled globally in 2019, discarding 83% of e-waste and $57B in raw material value. However, e-scrap recovery faces numerous roadblocks, including a fragmented recycling value chain, a complex and dynamic feedstock, and a rapidly evolving end-use market. In response, E-SCRAP is challenging American entrepreneurs to revolutionize critical material recovery and reshape the future of sustainable manufacturing.

E-SCRAP is not just a competition; it’s a catalyst for change. By addressing challenges in the e-scrap recycling value chain, competitor teams can each win up to $800,000 in cash prizes and $150,000 in national laboratory analysis support over the course of the three-phase competition.

The prize is open to competitors looking to:

• Build partnerships across the recycling value chain to optimize and integrate critical material separation and recovery technologies.
• Develop and demonstrate innovations along the recycling value chain to enhance the recovery of critical materials from e-scrap.
• Select at least one challenge (technical, supply chain, or related logistics hurdle) that needs further development and establish high impact opportunities (co-recovery, feedstock flexibility, information share, material benchmarking…) that will increase the domestic supply of critical materials from e-scrap.
• Create or enhance supply chains to increase material circularity (e.g., accelerating connectivity between collection, sorting, pre-treatment, processing, refining, validation, and material qualification)

The three phases of E-SCRAP prioritize the circularity of materials and reduction of e-scrap, identifying solutions that expand beyond a single-use life for electronics and encouraging reuse of product materials. The cash prizes and assistance awarded in Phases 1 and 2 are intended to support teams as they advance in the competition.

Phase 1 – Incubate

Competitors will propose solutions that substantially increase the amount of recovered critical materials from e-scrap used in U.S. manufacturing. Up to 10 winners will receive $50,000 in cash and $30,000 in national laboratory analysis support.

• Submissions Open: March 6, 2024
• Informational Webinar: March 27, 2024 2 p.m. ET (Register Here) and June 18, 2024 12 p.m. ET (Register Here)
• Submissions Close: Sept. 4, 2024, 5 p.m. ET
• Winner Announcement: December 2024*

Phase 2 – Prototype

Competitors will prototype their innovation and begin collecting and/or generating data that can be used to optimize technoeconomic strategy and life cycle impacts between partners along the recycling value chain. Winners will receive $150,000 in cash and $120,000 in national laboratory analysis support.

Phase 3 – Demonstrate

Competitors will begin implementing their innovations and propose their plans to scale their solution. Phase 3 winners will receive $600,000 in cash.

Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

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