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  • Waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE)

  • Old and broken electrical items may seem worthless, but in fact, theyre full of valuable materials

  • Council recycling centres collect waste electrical items, which are then taken to a reprocessing

  • plant, where they are shredded into small pieces, ready to be recycled.

  • Strong magnets are used to remove ferrous metals such a steel, whilst non magnetic metals

  • like aluminium parts are separated using an eddy current.

  • Different types of plastic are identified and can be sorted using Near Infrared light

  • or density separation.

  • Each raw material is then sent to be made into something brand new. For instance:

  • Zinc, found in mobile phones, could be used in ship building or for galvanizing railings

  • and lamp posts.

  • Gold found in games consoles can be made into jewellery

  • And plastic from lawn mowers can be used in musical instruments.

  • So remember: don’t bin your waste electrical item….take then down to your local recycling

  • centre or even better, if they work, find them a new home by getting them reused by

  • donating them or selling them on.

  • To find your nearest recycling centre visit: wasteawarenesswales.org.uk

Waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE)

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