Whilst the production and use of electronic equipment has been growing steadily in recent years, the lifecycle of many electronic devices is decreasing. These trends have combined to produce ever-growing volumes of 'e-scrap' or electronic waste. Many countries have made significant legislative efforts to cope with these material streams, including the European Union's 2003 directive on "Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)". This directive was designed to ensure an increasing proportion of electronic waste is recycled which, given the use of gold in electronics means a growing to potential to recycle gold from this scrap stream.