What happens to electrical items?

Did you know?

The electrical items collected in Essex are recycled into a range of new materials.

Where your electrical items go

Electrical items are collected at recycling centres, some libraries, and in some areas they are collected at kerbside. They are then taken to a recycling facility in Kent where they are shredded into small pieces.

The recycling process

• once shredded, strong magnets remove ferrous metals, such as steel
• other non-metallic metals are removed by using electronic currents
• plastic is sorted into types by using various methods such as near infrared light and density separation
• all the raw materials are then distributed to manufacture new items

Examples of new items

The copper motor in a hover mower can be turned into copper pipe, coins (in some currencies), jewellery or wire. It can also be made into winding wire for motors in new electronic products such as fridges, vacuums, tools and toys.

The circuit boards in games consoles contain a range of precious metals including platinum and palladium. When recycled, they can be used in catalytic convertors, mobile phones and jewellery.

Precious and semiprecious metals can be extracted from mobile phones and their batteries, which can then be recycled. There are other useful parts which can be re-used such as aerials, battery connectors, LCD screens, lenses, microphones, phone housings, screws, SIM card assemblies and speakers.

Watch the video

Find out more about what happens to your electrical waste in Essex:

For more information on the WEEE recycling process, visit: Sweeep Kuusakoski