Robotic systems used to recycle outdated televisions
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - 13:53:08
Prior to the HD age, television technology evolved comparatively slowly, with old CRT sets often lasting families for decades. But with flat screen TVs now the norm, two million screens are tossed out by British households each year.
BBC News reports that the increase in TV sales and the shorter upgrade cycle is presenting a challenge in terms of recycling, since the growing amount of e-waste generated by these trends needs to be dealt with sustainably. The answer currently lies in specialised facilities which are being developed in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, specifically to recycle old electrical items of this kind.
One recycling centre in Shropshire operated by French firm, Veolia, has just added a pair of robots to its recycling line, both of which will increase the speed with which old TVs can be processed and also make it much safer than in the past.
The process of recycling a television is similar to that of dealing with old mobile phones, albeit on a slightly larger scale due to the size of the devices involved. The sets need to be dismantled so that the useful materials can be reclaimed for reuse, which typically involves crushing key components and sifting the valuable minerals out and leaving the plastic parts behind.
Veolia spokesperson, Richard Kirkman, explained that 90 per cent of an old TV could reliably be recycled. He also said that it is not just metal and glass which are useful, but also rubber components and other elements, which can be powdered and then converted into a source of energy.
Because legislation ensures that the firms that actually produce the TVs sold in the UK are also obligated to help pay for the recycling of old models, there is a strong industry growing up around this, just as there is with mobile phone recycling.
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