Relight - Collection, Recycling and WEEE Treatment

Relight
Type of organisation or company
Country
Italy
City
Milano
Language for original content
Key Area
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Submitted by
Associazione Internazionale per la Comunicazione Ambientale
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Relight
Description

Relight guarantees the collection and transport of waste in compliance with the Italian Waste Management Register for hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Almost 80 % of incoming waste is transported by Relight trucks. All collection and transport operations are managed to minimise the environmental impacts and to guarantee the possibility of recovery.

The appliances with cathode ray tube (TV and monitors) are manually disassembled and then treated with specialized machines, which use a sophisticated cutting system by diamond disks. This step allows the separation of the glass display from funnel glass, and the simultaneous intake of dangerous fluorescent powders contained in the cathode ray tube.

The appliances without CRT (small household appliances), are cleared from potentially hazardous components (such as cartridges and toner for printers and copiers). A special machine separates all the fractions (e.g. metals, plastics, circuit boards).

Fluorescent tubes and CFL lamps, are properly sorted and treated in a special plant which separates the components (ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and glass).

Identified challenge (s)
Main results

94% of WEEE materials collected are recovered. Through the participation in various European projects (e.g: PCRec, Remaghic etc.) Relight achieves special innovation and development results on possible lifecycle extension for WEEE.