The Electrical Recycling Company Ltd (ERC) claims that the systems are able to recycle televisions and computer monitors at a rate of one a minute.
Don Smith of ERC said: “Our system can recycle between 60 and 80 CRTs in an hour and we are already supplying panel and funnel glass from recycled CRTs back to some of Europe's biggest CRT manufacturers.”
When the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive legislation comes into effect next August, electronic equipment will have to be recycled. This will include televisions and computer monitors.
Because of their high lead content, CRTs are classed as a hazardous material and must be dealt with separately, with all contaminants to be removed before they are recycled.
ERC is a partnership between consumer electronic experts DBS York Ltd and Yorkshire-based waste management firm Yorwaste.
The new automated separation system safely separates the panel and funnel glass and then cleans its contaminants. After this process is complete the glass can be sold back to CRT manufacturers for recycling.
John Miller, recycling manager at Yorwaste, said: “Projects like the one being carried out by ERC are helping us to find a more sustainable solution for dealing with all old electrical and electronic equipment.”
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