The largely Chinese delegation at the 2014 convention of the China Nonferrous Metals Association Recycling Metal Branch (CMRA), held in early November in Guangzhou, China, heard details of two systems for collecting postconsumer items with nonferrous metals content from representatives from overseas firms.
 |
| Patrick Wiedemann, RLG |
Ryuturo Fujisawa of Mitsubishi Materials Corp. provided an overview of the role Mitsubishi plays in collecting and processing obsolete appliances in Japan, including refrigerators and freezers, washers and dryers, air conditioning units and televisions.
Fujisawa said Mitsubishi’s five recycling subsidiaries in Japan collect and process 20 percent of the major appliances in Japan, meaning it ultimately taps into a large stream of copper, aluminum and steel scrap. In 2013, its role in the appliance recycling system provided it access to 50,600 metric tons of ferrous scrap, 5,880 metric tons of copper scrap and 2,690 metric tons of aluminum scrap.
The circuit boards in televisions and other appliances also yield precious metals — some 1,329 kilograms of silver and nearly 53 kilograms of gold — according to Fujisawa.
While the metals and marketable plastics represent the cash-flow positive aspects of the system, Fujisawa said obligations include the proper handling of refrigerants and the conversion of recovered urethane foam into fuel pellets.
Patrick Wiedemann, CEO of Germany-based Reverse Logistics Group (RLG), detailed the take-back system RLG has set up for manufacturers and retailers of lead-acid batteries in Europe and other parts of the world.
The take-back system is designed to compensate retailers, vehicle dealers and government entities who take back end-of-life lead-acid batteries and provide collection and shipping services to ensure that, in Europe, the obsolete lead-acid batteries end up at one of that continent’s 60 lead smelting facilities.
RLG provides its service in 14 European nations, using a network of 55 service providers who serve 25,000 collection points. In 2013, RLG’s European network collected some 60,000 metric tons of end-of-life lead-acid batteries. “It’s a convenient system and a smooth-running system,” said Wiedemann. He described it as a “track and trace system” that eliminates risks for those involved, while offering fair and transparent pricing.
The 2014 CMRA Annual Convention was at the Dongfang Hotel in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 7-9.