We first take apart electrical household appliances (white and brown goods) and separate out materials such as iron, aluminium, copper, plastic, glass and wood for reuse.
Harmful substances – such as CFCs, mercury and batteries – are removed and recycled or destroyed in a responsible manner. Recycled materials are reused in the making of new products. We call these materials ‘secondary raw materials’ to distinguish them from primary raw materials which come directly from nature. The use of secondary raw materials ensures that we put less burden onto the environment and emit less CO2. You can find more information on the separation and recycling of electrical appliances on the Wecycle website.
TV West made an interesting episode about the recycling of electrical appliances in the series ‘Johan is getting divorced!’ Watch the episode!
Did you know...
That there are many materials in electrical appliances that you can use to make new appliances, such as copper, tin and iron?