How to dispose of household appliances

Earlier this week, I was able to visit the company for disposal of household appliances UKO in the suburbs. I met the director Artem Ermolin company, a chemist by training, engaged in processing since the 90s. In just a few years, his company has become a serious player in the market, and the last two years, utilizes a technique that collects Eldorado network during the actions.

How to dispose of household appliances

So, how to compress the refrigerator to the size of a suitcase? What's the most expensive item in the computer? Why recycle TVs at a loss? What to do with batteries and mercury lamps? The answer to these and many other questions in the continuation ...

- essence of the campaign is simple, - says Artem - the store offers a discount in exchange for the old technique. We accept this technique, we utilize it properly, or hand over for recycling. The action takes place twice a year, lasts for two months. During the campaign we process large volumes of refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, televisions and any other equipment - from 40 to 70 thousand cubic meters. If you add up all the equipment in the trucks, you get a chain length of 12 kilometers.

How to dispose of household appliances

It is necessary to say at once that the company UKO rather big and is located a few shops. In one dismantled electronics, in the other - home appliances, etc. The first thing we went to the place of processing of large equipment... The first stage - acceptance and sorting of products for commodity groups:

How to dispose of household appliances

Refrigerators in one direction, the other plates, washing machines - in the third:

How to dispose of household appliances

Each kind of art has its own characteristics. For example, an important step of recycling of refrigerators and air conditioners - pumping refrigerant, a harmful substance, which destroys the ozone layer. One kilogram of refrigerant causes a harmful atmosphere as 10 tons of carbon dioxide. Approximately the same person breathes for three years. In England, the law can not be used to re-Freon (it burn right), but we have no problem taking freon refrigeration workshops. One refrigerator takes about three minutes, however, as the complaining workers often deliver refrigerators with compressor cut-off, in which there is copper, which means that just hit freon into the atmosphere:

How to dispose of household appliances

By the way, I took off on April 1. In the spring and does not smell:

How to dispose of household appliances

Next, from large equipment to the maximum removed non-ferrous metals, electronics, if any, and liquid plastics (those that can go for recycling)

How to dispose of household appliances

Then the iron box stoves, refrigerators and typewriters are compressed in a special press:

How to dispose of household appliances

All the employees work in spetsforme and masks:

How to dispose of household appliances

The power of the press is such that the conventional refrigerator or stove is compressed to the size of a small flat box. After that, the metal is processed outside company (next to us - Cherepovets and Novolipetsk Steel):

How to dispose of household appliances

was:

How to dispose of household appliances

So:

How to dispose of household appliances

In addition to large equipment, is sent for recycling paper, plastic, cellophane, and plastic foam, in which they are packaged:

How to dispose of household appliances

In a special apparatus is compressed trash and pack it in a compact "cube", which weighs an average of 300 kg. I wonder what newsprint in a cube heavier than usual - because of printing inks containing heavy metals. According to Artem, now there is no special items and places that would pass the trash citizens. There is only raw material bases, and pulp and paper mills, working with legal entities:

How to dispose of household appliances

Packages and wrap:

How to dispose of household appliances

for plastics have crusher, they turn it into a special composition, which is to be recycled. Unfortunately due to the load on other lines at the time of my arrival, and the plastic I was just going to see how his crush, I could not. There is also a device for processing cartridges from the printer:

How to dispose of household appliances

In any case, there is a special protective mask:

How to dispose of household appliances

Among the packages found a box of aypada:

How to dispose of household appliances How to dispose of household appliances

Single story with electronic scrap - computers and office equipment:

With the first system units case body is removed, which represent a "pure" metal:

How to dispose of household appliances

According to the law of radio-electronic scrap should be sent to the refineries - enterprises engaged in production of high purity precious metals by separating them from impurities. Then the company made from these bank ingots. In Russia, these nine factories, with "poor" materials (boards and chips) specialize in two plants - Uralelectromed and Kyshtym Copper Electrolyte Plant:

How to dispose of household appliances

Each board their content of various precious metals, so the board dealt with by hand and sorted by their value:

How to dispose of household appliances

The power supply is a bit of copper and lead. The most valuable thing in the computer - the motherboard. Per kilogram boards UKO receives 150 rubles. For the rest of the board - 70-80 rubles. The company may also buy equipment from landfills, unless, of course, there is debugged build discipline and sorting:

How to dispose of household appliances

An interesting feature of our reality is that refineries - monopoly and dictate their conditions. If the company sells them to the precious metals from electronics - it does not get good money for copper, and vice versa:

How to dispose of household appliances How to dispose of household appliances

After this board are packed and sent to the factories. There occurs spot check of several boards of the bags, which are estimated on the basis of the whole party:

How to dispose of household appliances How to dispose of household appliances

The UKO has a warehouse, which is collected by an interesting old equipment for the museum of El Dorado:

How to dispose of household appliances How to dispose of household appliances How to dispose of household appliances

Artem said that recently traveled to England to study plant for crushing all kinds of machinery and the division of its component parts. Installation is so fancy that it is able to warm up in a vacuum milled composition to condense the freon from refrigeration units. It is worth such a facility of $ 3 million and maybe soon it will appear at UKO. Artem very happy and says it is the first step of "production on the knee" to the modern elegant solution.

- In the near future will be adopted amendments to the law on the responsibility of manufacturers for the equipment produced. Initially it was a one-sided option, which would oblige the manufacturer to pay two percent of the value of goods produced or imported, but the public was outraged. Who is considered an alternative to - own or dispose of the structure of the union of manufacturers in the consortium. This opens up opportunities for the development of the industry.

However, many bleak moments and in our reality. According to Artem, to dispose of the battery properly in Russia is simply impossible:

- As of today, the batteries disposed of in Russia there is no place. Sometimes, they are mixed with the ferrous metal (for example, one hundred kilograms of batteries with multi-ton wagon), as this impurity is not much affected by the technology. To resolve this issue, we need, first and foremost, a clear system supplies the necessary volumes for processing. In itself, such production is not very expensive - 200-300 thousand dollars, but we can not afford such a charity. Same story with energy-saving, and fluorescent lamps that contain mercury. For such an undertaking is necessary volume of 10 thousand to 30-40 thousand fluorescent and energy saving lamps.

How to dispose of household appliances

In general, recycling and disposal - is not a profitable activity and in the best case goes to zero. In the civilized world, these costs are either charged to the budget, or incorporated into other business scheme that compensates for them. And, in addition, according to Artem, the "green" consciousness of our citizens still have room to grow: in the month, the company gets only a few dozen calls from people who want to dispose of their equipment and are willing to pay for it. For example, utilization of the refrigerator along with the removal of Moscow, will cost 1200 rubles.

In connection with this survey - are you ready to pay the money?