Member Article

Investment in TV recycling technology

A company that operates an electrical recycling facility on the outskirts of York has invested in new technology to ensure it continues to meet strict European regulations for the safe processing of televisions.

The Electrical Recycling Company (ERC), which is part of the Yorwaste Group, has spent £78,000 on a new enclosed conveyor system at its Hessay facility on the outskirts of York.

It means that the hazardous phosphorus coating present in glass of a television can be safely filtered out in an enclosed environment.

The bespoke piece of equipment means ERC’s new recycling operation at Hessay continues to meet national and international standards for the treatment and storage of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

The company is one of only a few in the UK which is not only an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) but also complies with the European government’s Best Available Treatment Recovery & Recycling Techniques (BATRRT).

Paul Sellers, ERC’s Recycling Manager, said: “At Hessay we use production line techniques to safely dismantle cathode rate tube (CRT) televisions and computer monitors, but new legislation now prevents loose CRT glass being stored outside in open storage bays and transportation in open top trailers due to the release of phosphorous coating escaping into the atmosphere.

“The new CRT glass feed enclosed conveyor system now ensures the glass in the televisions is safely processed and stored, with the hazardous phosphorus coating being filtered out as part of this process, before being taken to a treatment facility for final recycling.

“All businesses have a legal responsibility to dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipment via correctly licensed recyclers like ERC and this investment in new technology will hopefully generate even more business for the company.”

ERC currently processes between 700 and 1,000 television sets per hour/day, along with computer monitors and smaller electrical items such as toasters. Well over 96% of all the televisions and computer monitors handled by ERC are now recycled. After treatment CRT glass can eventually be reused in new televisions or fluorescent light-bulbs.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .