Research has been commissioned by Defra through CIWM EB to derive Protocols as an aid to the recording and reporting of WEEE recycling and recovery in the UK and for those materials exported overseas.
A particularly variable category is that small mixed WEEE (SMW) that arrives at household waste recycling centres (CA sites) and the project aimed at determining and measuring this WEEE.
The task was not easy and around 125 tonnes of this material was hand sorted which meant looking at over 16,000 items of electrical and electronic equipment.
Initially the SMW was segregated according to 9 standard WEEE categories. Almost 64% of the material fell in Categories 2, 3, 4. which are small household appliances, IT and telecomms equipment, and consumer equipment respectively. As these categories cover such items as vacuum cleaners, irons, computers, keyboards, DVDs and VCRs, it is perhaps not surprising that they represent such a high proportion of the materials involved.
Following this initial sorting process the materials were shredded / fragmentised, often at a WEEE processing plant. Samples of the output was again hand sorted to characterise and determine the composition of the fragmentised materials.
From an overall viewpoint almost half was metallic closely followed by plastics. Full analysis information is given in the report.
From the research data a number of protocols were drawn up as an aid to AATF recording. This is important as it will save much work that might occur if individual loads of SMW had to be analysed, particularly as individual WEEE categories have different recycling and recovery targets.
Further information
The research report and associated protocols can be found on the Defra website.