Bertin Technologies and Rescoll are developing an innovative sorting process plastic recycling
Rescoll’Blog / 14 janvier 2019
Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the EU, with a growth rate of 3 to 5% per year.
The WEEE stream faces two central problems: the disposal of WEEE to landfills, and the suboptimal recycling and recovery of WEEE by techniques that release or generate harmful substances to the environment. Moreover, only one third of WEEE is reported as being separately collected and appropriately sorted. The sorting process demonstrated in this project will high reduce the environmental impact of recycling WEEE.
EU regulation requires that WEEE containing BFRs be separated out of the recycling stream, because of concerns about these chemicals. Moreover, the recycling of WEEE is a major challenge for the environment and the circular economy: the new WEEE Directive sets ambitious recycling and recovery rates valid from 2019 and the European Commission intends to put an end to the landfill of all recyclable materials in 2030.
However, only 12% of the plastics collected in the WEEE sectors are now recycled and produce low quality by-products. The conditions of success for the secondary valorization of plastics derived from WEEE are in the improvement of sorting technologies for recyclers.
INSPIRE4LIFE project’s goal is to demonstrate at pre industrial scale an innovative automated sorting process aiming to improve quality of recycling and reuse of large plastic pieces.
INSPIRE4LIFE is a European LIFE project carried by Bertin Technologies et Rescoll.
For download the LAYMAN’S REPORT of this project: 003883-110-DP003-A_Layman’s report
