WEEE recycling
Updated November 2007
Preamble
In the period leading up to the final implementation of the European Union Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEED) in July of 2007, Northern Realisations worked in close collaboration with the Environment Agency and DEFRA, to establish a framework under which the educational and voluntary sector may continue to enjoy the benefits conferred upon them as eligible recipients under the Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher Project(MAR), whilst taking forward the desired outcomes in the handling of discarded and redundant ICT equipment::
Reduce,
The manufacturing phase of electronic equipment is clearly the most environmentally hazardous of the product life cycle
The effect of refurbishment and remarketing of ICT equipment is to lessen the demand for new products.
Re-Use,
Recycling for re-use is acknowledged to be the most environmentally benign outcome for redundant ICT equipment. This is acknowledged and recognised as to be encouraged within WEEED. The core activity of NorthernRealisations Ltd has always been, and continues to be, the refurbishment and remarketing of such equipment.
Recycle
We work in collaboration with various specialists, all of whom are licensed in the appropriate fashion, to ensure that we are able to demonstrate responsible waste management procedures for all equipment.
The practices we have put in place have been approved by the Environment Agency and by all other concerned bodies:
1) Collection and handling of Redundant Equipment
In order to provide total assurance to our clients, all goods are carried under the control of a Waste Carriage Duty of Care Notice issued under our Waste Carriers registration number NSO/548256. Our operational site is licensed by the Environment Agency as a Waste Transfer Station – licensed for the treatment and storage of WEEE.
Licence number WML/40452
The above measures ensure that all goods collected by Northern Realisations are transported and handled in WEEED compliant fashion
2) Declassification of Waste
In order to fulfil demand and to ensure that the equipment we handle is utilised to its fullest possible extent, we have agreed a procedure with our ISO 140001 consultants, and with the Environment Agency, whereby equipment may be declassified as waste upon its receipt at our premises if it is suitable for refurbishment and onward supply for its original purpose. More than 70% of the equipment we receive is treated thus
We assume producer responsibility for equipment which is declassified as waste by ourselves and undertake to comply with the producer take back requirements of WEEED.
3) End of Life Waste Management
Equipment which has no potential for onward supply as working equipment is channelled into our network of onward recyclers and materials reclamation specialists – all of whom are either Environment Agency Licensed, or who are able to operate under the Waste Management Licensing Exemptions offered to charitable bodies:
Principal onwards channels are as follows:
Hazardous Waste
YorWaste Ltd - Waste Management Licence EAWML 66077
Equipment which contains elements of hazardous waste – primarily CRT monitors, batteries and heavy metallic compounds are delivered to Yorwaste’s Hessay Site, under a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note. All such shipments are detailed in our Quarterly Return to the Environment Agency.
CRT monitors are processed into 4 material streams by Yorwaste:
After extraction of inert gasses, the monitors is crushed and immersed, allowing isolation of plastics for recycling,
Cabling and metal chassis is removed and despatched for smelter processing to recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Circuit boards and screen controllers are forwarded to Precious Metal refiners for the recovery of precious metals. The glass from the CRT tube is recovered and recycled. No landfill disposal is deployed by Yorwaste in the processing of CRT monitors.
Batteries are consigned by Yorwaste to a specialist recycler: G & P batteries, Lead is recovered from Lead Cell batteries, Nickel is recovered from nickel cadmium batteries, Acids are reclaimed and neutralised by chemical process, recyclable plastics are forwarded to SITA, Minimal landfill disposal ( less than 1% of materials received) is deployed in the processing of batteries by G & P.
Items contain heavy metals elements are consigned to specialist recovery processors. No heavy metal residues are consigned to landfill disposal.
Non - Hazardous Waste
Toner and inkjet printer cartridges and mobile telephones are consigned to the recycling initiative administered by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). .RNIB are able to operate within an exemption to the Waste Management Licensing
All other non- hazardous materials are consigned to GRP Electronics Waste Carriers Licence: NSO/547281
Waste Management Licence: EAWML/100037
GRP sort and grade the equipment they receive and forward it to various specialist recyclers within the UK
They achieve an average recycling figure from materials reclamation activities, of over 90%
Overall –Northern Realisation’s total percentage for materials reclaimed and equipment redeployed currently exceeds 97.5%
Northern Realisations operate in close collaboration with their ISO 14001 quality management consultants to ensure that they operate responsible waste management practices.
