What we cover
Streams – WEEE
WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Modern electronics are made of rare and expensive resources, which can be recycled and reused if the waste is effectively managed, saving raw materials.
From big to small, from lamps to IT, when devices reach their end-of-life they are considered Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). WEEE contains a complex mixture of materials, some of which are hazardous, which can cause major environmental and health problems if the discarded devices are not managed properly.
Improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) at the end of its life can:
• improve sustainable production and consumption
• increase resource efficiency
• contribute to the circular economy
weee Recycling
Which are the WEEE categories?
There are different categories of WEEE, regarding its composition and ways of management, treatment, and recycling:
The EU has introduced the WEEE Directive and the RoHS Directive to tackle the issue of the growing amount of WEEE.
WEEE Directive – here
Large domestic appliances
Washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashing machines, cookers;
The first stage of recycling is decontamination: cables and other electrical components are removed; ballasts, plastics, iron compounds and other metals are separated and recovered. These materials are then sent for further processing and recovery.
Recycling process
1. Pre-shedding decontamination
2. Shredding
3. Separation
Recovered materials
Cables
Concrete
Capacitor
Plastic
Ferrous Metal
Non-Ferrous Metal
Temperature exchange equipment /Cooling appliances
Refrigerators, freezers, automatic cold products delivery machines.
Products include fridges, freezers, and any appliances with refrigerating devices such as water coolers. Some appliances also contain refrigerant gases classified as Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) that are now banned.
These gases are captured and treated in ODS recovery plants. Cold appliance de-pollution entails a variety of processes: compressors are decontaminated to recover ODS and oils; insulating foam is treated to recover ODS; metals are salvaged and resold, and plastics can be reused for new products. Recovered oils and ODS are destroyed in a specialised treatment process.
Recycling process
1. Decontamination
2. Shredding
3. Separation
4. Foam decontamination
Recovered materials
Gas
Oil
Capacitor
Plastic
Ferrous Metal
Foam
Display equipment
Televisions, screens, LCD, pc monitors
Display equipment includes cathode ray tubes (found in old-style TV sets and computer monitors) and flat-screen TVs and computer monitors, such as plasma and liquid crystal displays (LCD).
Cathode ray tubes (CRT) contain hazardous phosphor powder, leaded glass, copper, and other rare metals. These materials can be reused to make new products. Panel and funnel glass from the cathode ray tubes are also recovered. The coating on the funnel glass is removed and the glass is cleaned for new CRT manufacture.
Most LCD TVs use mercury lamps to light the screen. To remove the lamps, the appliance must be disassembled before processing the LCD screen. Research is currently being carried out to develop more effective, automated solutions.
Recycling process
1. Hand dismantling
2. Cathode ray tube separation (Pb, Ba)
3. Crushing and metal removal
4. Glass cleaning
Recovered materials
Ferrous Metal
Foam
Monitor body and electronics
Circuit Board
Leaded glass
Unleaded glass
Small Domestic Appliances
Vacuum cleaners, appliances for sewing, irons, toasters, electric knives, hairdryers, radio sets, electrical and electronic toys, luminaires;
This is the most complicated WEEE stream as a wide variety of materials can be recovered: wood, metal, plastic, glass, and cardboard.
This category includes appliances for cleaning (e.g. vacuum cleaners, carpet sweepers, etc.), appliances used for sewing, knitting, weaving and other processing for textiles, irons and other appliances for ironing, mangling and other care of clothing, toasters, fryers, grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or packages, electric knives, appliances for hair cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing, shaving, massage and other body care appliances, clocks, watches and equipment to measure, indicate or registering time, etc.
These appliances are shredded, and plastics are separated from metals. Initial decontamination includes the removal of ink toners, cartridges, batteries, and cables.
Recycling process
1. Manual pretreatment
2. Crushing
3. Picking station
4. Shredding
5. Separation
Recovered materials
Cables
Waste
Plastic
Fine materials
Ferrous Metal
Non-Ferrous Metal
Individual Components
Lamps
straight fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, low-pressure sodium lamps, LED lamps.
This category includes fluorescent tubes and low-energy light bulbs, also known as compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), while old-style filament light bulbs and halogen lights are not categorised as WEEE.
Lamps are crushed and washed or treated in pressurised containers. Specialised machines are used to remove hazardous mercury and phosphor. Then, the remaining material is sorted into glass, metals, and plastics.
Phosphor powder and recovered mercury can be re-used to make new lamps. The crushed glass can be used for furnace linings or, if pure enough, to make new lamps. Aluminium end caps are smelted, and other metals are recycled.
Recycling process
1. Shredding
2. Separation
3. Dust recovery
Recovered materials
Ferrous Metal
Non-Ferrous Metal
Mercury
Recycling process
1. Remove cables, plug and semiconductor
2. Separate aluminium and glass from the PV module
3. Remove labels
4. Reuse or recycle the EVA film and recover chemical elements such as cadmium and selenium
5. Separate into fractions
(EVA film, Aluminium, Wafer, Cable and plastic plug, Semiconductor, Glass)
6. Recycle the glass fraction in a smelter
Recovered materials
Leaded glass
Individual Components
Plastic
Unleaded glass
Cables
Metal
Cadmium
IT Equipment
Included:
• Computers
• Printers (desktop and floor-standing)
• Printer cartridges
• Video gaming devices
• Telephones, including cellular phones
• Display devices
• Radios and stereos, including after-market vehicle stereos
• Headphones
• Speakers
• Cameras, including security cameras
• Video recorders
• Drones with audio or visual recording equipment
• Peripherals and cables used to support the function of information technology, telecommunications and audio visual equipment, including charging equipment
• Parts of information technology, telecommunications and audio visual equipment sold separately, such as hard drives
• Handheld point-of-sale terminals or devices
• Musical instruments
• Audio recording equipment
Not included:
• ITT/AV equipment weighing more than 250 kg
• Small and large appliances
• Power tools
• Motor vehicles
• Children’s toys
• Textiles, clothing, furniture or any other upholstered or stuffed articles containing Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Reuse process
1. Inspection
2. Cleaning
3. Data Sanitation
4. Repair
Recycling process
1. Decontamination
2. Shredding
3. Separation
Recovered materials
Cables
Screens
Capacitors
Plastics
Metals
Batteries
Circuit boards