Directive Decoder

Norwegian company TOMRA are rolling out their Automated Recycling Centres (ARCs) around the world.

According to TOMRA, their machines are able to recognise and sort different materials, such as bottles and cans, and efficiently condense them in size.

The state-of-the art ARC is based on cutting-edge material recognition technology. Objects made of plastics, metals, glass and other types of packaging are recognised with almost 100% accuracy as they are inserted into the user station. After the objects have been identified, they are sorted and crushed into separate storage bins.

Why use heat welding in preference to adhesives?
Some plastics melt fairly easily and so heat can be used to bond two pieces together. This is good because no other materials are introduced so that at end-of-life, there is only one clean plastic to recycle. If adhesives are used (also if labels are used), the plastic is contaminated and so has a much lower value. Removal of adhesives is practically impossible on a large scale.

Directive Decoder

Each year, in the UK, households throw away almost 30 million tonnes of waste.

That's the same as 4.3 million African elephants or 109,000 of the world's largest passenger aircraft - the Airbus A380

Directive Decoder

Do you have WEEE, scrap electrical or electronic waste which you need disposing of safely and environmentally? Electrocycle can collect and recycle this for you locally and using an infrastructure established under the WEEE regulations.

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New legislation in Illinois states from January 2012 landfill sites will be prohibited from knowingly accepting "covered" electronic devices for disposal.

Illinois now see's itself as a national leader in solving the ever increasing problem of toxic electronic waste.

In the absence of a widespread RoHS Directive in North America, old electronic equipment can contain toxic substances and pose a real risk to the public as well as the environment when dumped in landfill.

154 million small electrical products were bought in the UK in the last year alone, equating to around 551,000 tonnes in total or 22kgs per household. However, in the same period only 56,000 tonnes of small electrical items were recycled. This weight (22kgs) is equivalent to 188 mobile phones or 22 hairdryers.

There are a large number of companies in the UK with the capacity and capability to process this readily recyclable and valuable type of waste for which there are still viable market outlets.

Research by the Waste Resource Action Programme reveals that on average we have three old, broken or unwanted small electrical items stored around the home.

Watch out for a pre Christmas campaign to raise awareness with consumers. Local Authorities will also be encouraged to run their own local campaigns under the "recycle now" brand.

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Strateco was the first strategic environmental consultancy to specialise in pre-empting and managing clients' obligations under environmental legislation and culture change

Strateco's mix of strong business acumen and its genuine commitment to sustainable and ethical solutions, gives them the rare ability to develop solutions that are both 'green' and financially viable.

Strateco's approach is one of risk minimisation and opportunity enhancement for clients

Strateco focuses on:

• Waste & Recycling Strategies
• Resource Management for sustainability
• Strategic Management for a low carbon economy
• Marketing & PR for Stakeholder buy-in.

Take a look at Strateco...let experts David Burton and Carl Kruger guide your business.

Directive Decoder

Are you looking for a company to take care of disposal and / or recycling but don't know where to turn?

If it's WEEE, battery or lighting specialists, or simply obsolete products then click here for a total solution.

Directive Decoder

The WEEE directive requires 10 categories of electrical equipment to be collected, treated, recycled and disposed of when it reaches end of life. The directive sets targets for the percentages of materials that must be recovered and includes a list (in Annex II) of parts that have to be removed and then recycled separately. The Directive also includes a requirement that manufacturers design equipment so that they can easily be recycled although this has not yet been translated into national legislation in any EU State.

Recycling is a cost that can be significant and is paid for by the producer (usually the manufacturer or importer). In effect it is a sales cost, as it must be financed when the product is sold. The cost of recycling can be influenced by the design of the equipment although whether the manufacturer can realise these benefits depends on whether they collect and recycle their own equipment at end of life (by which they can) or if it is collected and recycled by compliance schemes that collect a wide range of products from many producers (where the benefits are more limited).

Are you looking for a recycler / disposal company to help you and your business, but don't know where to turn?

Research consulting company Oakdene Hollins, experts in economic waste management, re-manufacturing and re-use has put together the attached list of companies that offer a wide range of services and expertise:

Oakdene Hollins recommended list

If you require an accredited service in North America then try the recently formed e-stewards

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Three supermarket giants have signed up to battery compliance schemes to meet both their producer and retail obligations on portable batteries.

Tesco, ASDA and Morrison's have joined the BatteryBack scheme which is jointly run by Leeds based WasteCare and waste management company Veolia ES.

A study published by the European Commission recommends the creation of a dedicated European body to oversee the implementation and enforcement of European Union waste law.

This forms part of a series of steps being taken by the EC to improve waste management and ensure it meets the requirements set by EU legislation to protect human health and the environment.

Figures published by the Environment Agency show that the proportion of waste batteries collected for recycling in the UK rose from 9.15% in the first quarter of 2010 to 16.15% in the subsequent quarter.

The UK is therefore on track to achieve its first interim target to collect 10% of waste portable batteries for this year as the collection rate for the first half of the year was over 12%.

However, this remains work in progress as the first legally binding target set by the European Union's Battery Directive is 25% for 2012.

Directive Decoder

The Panorama programme on Monday evening (UK) once again highlighted the subject of the illegal shipping of e-waste.

In November 2008 the "60 Minutes" news programme in the US looked at the same story and nearly had the footage confiscated.

Nothing seems to have happened in the meantime.

I went to India some 4 years ago and addressed an audience on hazardous substances.

I have updated my original document, attached, and I urge everyone to have a quick look so as to understand more on this shocking subject.

Backyard recycling

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 On November 15, 2010, President Obama issued a presidential proclamation on electronics recycling, announcing that he was creating an Interagency Task Force of agencies within the federal government "to prepare a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship, including improvements to Federal procedures for managing electronic products."    He also said he wanted "to ensure the Federal Government leads as a responsible consumer." Publication of the Task Force Report has been delayed twice. Currently it's expected to be released in Summer 2011. The US administration seems willing to support major changes. We will have to see how the proposed bill fares and what this committee recommends.  

US proclomation

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