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Lasers deployed by Scottish firm to recycle old televisions

Electronics reprocessing firm Shore Recycling has started taking in cathode ray tubes at its plant in Perth this week, using innovative laser technology to separate glass.

With the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive due to come into force in August this year, demand for the reprocessing of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from televisions and computer monitors is growing.


”The Proventia laser technology accurately keeps the recycling rate achievable by the process above 98% “
– Malcolm Todd, commercial director of Shore

Shore Recycling, which has been recycling fridges on its Perth site since December 2002, has developed a CRT reprocessing facility with the potential to recycle over 350,000 CRTs each year. The facility is fully licensed by SEPA to receive and treat all WEEE products.

The company is using cutting-edge laser separation technology provided by Finnish technology producer Proventia, and is one of only three companies worldwide using such technology. The opening of Shore's CRT plant comes shortly after another Scottish firm, Citiraya opened a similar CRT reprocessing plant in Wales last week (see letsrecycle.com story).

The laser equipment allows for the funnel glass to be separated from the panel glass with more accuracy, Shore's commercial director Malcolm Todd said.

Recycling rate

Mr Todd said: “We believe that this is the best technology available. The CRT's whether televisions or computer monitors, are cut accurately by the laser unit allowing good segregation between the funnel and panel glass fractions. This accurately keeps the recycling rate achievable by the process above 98%.”

More than half of a CRT is made up of glass, and Shore sends the panel glass from the front of tubes to Wales for recycling, while the lead-containing funnel glass is to be sent to various plants in Central Europe.

Related links:

letsrecycle.com electronics recycling page

Mr Todd said that the company had already signed contracts with several local authorities and businesses, including the City of Edinburgh, which will be sending its WEEE from civic amenity site collections to the Perth facility.

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