What is meant by treatment?
All separately collected items of WEEE must be taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) to have certain items removed prior to processing to meet the recycling and recovery targets. The environmental agencies have now produced treatment standards suggesting that certain items can be removed mechanically – circuit boards and batteries in particular as long as they are recognisable and do not contaminate other items. This would indicate that for many items cookers, washing machines and computers, for instance shredding through a slow speed shredder will still be an option. Clearly, this will have a big impact on cost. The items requiring removal are as follows: • All fluids • Polychlorinated biphenyls containing capacitors • Mercury containing components • Batteries • Printed circuit boards of mobile phones and other items if above 10 sq cms • Toner cartridges • Plastic containing brominated flame retardants • Cathode ray tubes • CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs or HCs • Gas discharge lamps • LC
