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Is it true that all old electrical and electronic equipment can provide new metals, picture tubes and energy?
EEE contains a lot of metal. Cookers, washing machines, tumble driers and dishwashers, all of which contain high quality stainless steel among other things, contain the greatest quantities of metals. The most valuable metals such as gold and other precious metals can be found in EEE such as computers and mobile phone printed circuit boards. Aluminium is found in office machines such as faxes and photocopiers, while copper can be found in almost all EEE – for conducting electricity. All of the metals Elretur collects are smelted down again before being sold as raw materials for use in new products.
The picture tubes of older TV sets and computers are made from glass. This glass is currently recovered for new screens.
Some plastic, wood and textiles (which one finds in older TV sets and radios) are incinerated in incineration plants which use the heat for, for example, district heating. All incineration plants have advanced systems that scrub the smoke before it is emitted so that harmful gases or other substances do not escape. Brominated flame retardants are made safe in incineration plants with especially high temperatures.