Due to the process of recycling the electrical and electronic equipment, valuable raw materials, such as copper, aluminum, steel and other metals are taken out to be used again and again in manufacturing of the new appliances. Harmful substances used in the equipment, such as mercury, CFC substances, lead and POP compounds, are also taken out during the recycling and sent out for appropriate processing. More than 90% of the materials used in the devices can be utilized as raw materials, which means that the recycling rate of electrically powered devices is quite high.
Recycling of WEEE saves natural resources
Following the manual and using the device properly is the most environmentally sustainable way to use the appliance. Here you can read tips on how to prolong the use of various devices. Take the faulty devices to the professionals for repair and do not attempt to make changes in electrically powered devices yourself. Think carefully if you really need to upgrade to the latest model every time, try using the appliance until it stops working, give the used device in a working condition to the next consumer. If none of the options are available anymore, take the device to official recycling location.
The recycling of electrical and electronic equipment is especially important for the environment, as it reduces the need to mine raw virgin materials and establish new mines in precious natural areas.
Recycling is not the end point
There are many different processing partners of the organizations behind WEEE collection in Finland, and their recycling plants accept collected electrical and electronic equipment. These plants use different methods to sort, prepare and process the equipment into raw materials. All contractual partners have proper environmental permits for their operations, and they also go through regular auditing. Recycling experts view the point where EE device ends up in recycling as the start of its journey, not its end.
Functional devices are suitable for reuse and others are reincarnated as raw materials
When a WEEE ends up in a specialized recycling facility, the first step is to check if it is suitable for reuse as is or if any part of it is good as a spare part. For example, computers used by companies are in most part still good for use in schools, among other. Data on these devices is eliminated during data safety procedure.
If the device can no longer be used, the materials it contains can be used due to carefully developed recycling process. At the stage of preparing for recycling, harmful substances, as well as batteries and accumulators, are removed from devices. This step of the process is carried out by hand on the preparing lanes built specifically for this purpose. The material is then crushed so that it is possible to sort raw materials mechanically.
Environmentally harmful substances are taken aside during the recycling process
Electrical and electronic devices contain many substances that are harmful to the environment and health, such as lead, cadmium, chromium, phthalates and PVC, and we have now figured out how to identify and collect them in order to conduct the recycling process properly. The use of some harmful substances is restricted by the international agreements, but they might still occur in devices manufactured before implementing the restrictions.
Old refrigeration equipment may contain gases that are currently banned, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which destroy the ozone layer when released into the atmosphere. During the recycling process, compressors containing refrigerants, i.e. gases and oils, are removed from the appliances, and contaminating agents are sent further to be safely disposed in hazardous waste processing.
POP compounds are stable organic chemical compounds that are extremely harmful to the environment and humans. Their use as flame retardants in electrical and electronic devices has been restricted since 2004, but POPs are still present in equipment manufactured before that date.
If you want to find out about the properties of the components in the device, please refer to your device’s instructional manual or the technical specifications on the manufacturer’s website.
The recycling process utilizes the cutting-edge technology
Sorting of the crushed WEEE materials, i.e. recycling fractions, uses various technology, for example, magnets, vibration or X-ray vision, programmed to identify the element or color of the object. Flotation immersion makes use of gravity: light bits stay afloat while heavy ones sink to the bottom. Metals are sorted using traditional melting methods as well. The recycling process finally results in hundreds of different recycling fractions, which are sold to be used in the manufacturing industry as raw materials for new items.
Manufacturing of modern smart devices uses raw materials classified as rare earth elements, such as neodymium and gallium, which occur in the devices in such tiny nuggets that it has been impossible to separate them mechanically. A testing facility, where all WEEE metals are recycled for further use in a multi-stage soaking process, is currently under development in Finland. During that process, various metals are picked from the acid solutions in a systematic order.