Learning Centre

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Batteries or accumulators are any source of electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy and consisting of one or more primary battery cells (non-rechargeable) or consisting of one or more secondary battery cells (rechargeable).

Most types of batteries contain toxic heavy metals, including nickel, cadmium and mercury. All of these metals can be recovered and re-used. Recycling batteries is good for the environment as it keeps them out of landfill, where heavy metals may leak into the ground, causing soil and water pollution and endangering animal and plant life. If batteries are incinerated with household waste, the heavy metals inside them cause air pollution.

Silicon-based PV panels require normal flat glass treatment and no special removal of the semiconductor layer.

Non-silicon-based PV panels require special semiconductor removal technology and isolation of toxic heavy metals.

Centralised data processing:

• Mainframes, minicomputers and printer units

Personal computing:

• Personal computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard included), laptop computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard included), notebook computers, notepad computers

• Printers, copying equipment, electrical and electronic typewriters

• Pocket and desk calculators

• Other products and equipment for the collection, storage, processing, presentation or communication of information by electronic means

• User terminals and systems

• Facsimile machine (fax), telex, telephones, pay telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones, answering systems

• Other products or equipment of transmitting sound, images or other information by telecommunications