Environmental Concerns
This is the biggest challenge of electroplating. This is because certain chemicals or effluents are used in the electroplating processes and they are usually toxic, thus capable of having harmful effects on the environment. More so, the production of electricity used in electroplating processes can contribute to environmental degradation such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change.

Responsible environmental electroplating is critical in the metal plating industry for both safety and pollution prevention. In general, this concern for the environment stems from some of the inherent risks associated with electrode position practice when they are not carried out properly. The majority of hazardous waste in the electroplating industry should be eliminated by adopting environmentally friendly development strategies . Most toxic heavy metals, such as lead, thallium, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel and antimony, are used in industrial processes and are significant polluters of the environment

Health and Safety Risks
Electroplating workers and industrial settlers are at risk of exposure to toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which can cause a range of air & noise pollution and health problems, including skin irritation, respiratory problems, kidney & liver damage, cancer, neurological & intellectual abnormalities in children, promote carcinogenicity, etc.

Quality Control and Assurance
Electroplating quality control is a critical factor in the operation and success of precious and semi-precious metal finishes. Because of the product’s final use, these quality control measures are important, especially in medical electroplating. Anything that goes into the body must be rigorously tested and approved before it is placed in the hands of a doctor. Maintaining precious and non-precious metal chemistries (for instance, gold, palladium, rhodium and platinum) is critical to ensuring excellent final product quality. To begin, the controls on the chemistry used in the plating process must be tested and managed daily to

Waste Management Concerns
Electroplating processes generate a significant amount of waste, including wastewater, spent solutions, and sludge. These wastes contain toxic substances and must be treated and disposed properly to prevent environmental harm. The electroplating industry must strive to address this issue to ensure a greener, better, and healthier future and as such waste management is meant to be an integral part of it. Proper waste management ensures that waste is disposed in such a way that its effects on human health or the environment are minimized, using the right techniques and tactics.

The electroplating industry generates waste in three forms:

i) Solid waste (in the form of powdered residues, acid waste, spent resins from ion exchange method, fouled membranes, fluxes, clogged medium, sludge, offcuts, etc.).
ii) Liquid waste (organic solvents, spent bath, plating rinse water, lubricating fluids, wastewater, etc.) and
iii) Gaseous waste (such as acid/alkali mist, chlorinated solvent vapour, volatile organic

Given the above-mentioned hazardous wastes generated during the electroplating process, controlling and managing the waste generated is regarded as the most pressing need of the day. Even with the best practices and technological advancements, there are still some challenges to effectively managing waste

Researchers-Industrial Collaborations
The failure of healthy and effective collaborations between researchers and industry practitioners has become a pertinent challenge in the electroplating industry. Researchers and industry professionals ought to work hand-in-hand to curb certain shortcomings through intensified research and development (R&D), to develop new alternatives and innovative solutions for more sustainable and environmentally friendly electroplating such as electrochemical machining and additive manufacturing, etc., to address this challenge

Cost and Significant Investment/Investors
Electroplating can be very expensive at times, both in terms of acquiring the equipment and chemicals needed for the process and also the cost of treating and disposing of waste. This can stand as a huge barrier to its advancement and in the absence of upfront investments by investors, intended projects won’t see the light of the day, thus resulting in a stall of the project. To handle this challenge, strategic collaborations need to be set in place and viable plans worked upon to further the growth and wider application of electroplating technologies.

Compliance with Regulations
This describes the inability of electroplating practices to meet globally established standards of operation and engagement. To address these challenges and shortcomings, certain measures are to be taken and policies carefully put in place to limit or possibly eliminate them in years to come. In areas where the curbing of these challenges is difficult, good management practices should be encouraged.