A new
report suggests that electronics manufacturers in Europe
may need to spend up to $40 billion to prepare takeback
and recycling systems for compliance with the Waste Electrical
and Electronics (WEEE) directive, which takes effect in
2006.
A 55:45 joint venture formed by MBA Polymers (Richmond,
CA) and Guangzhou Iron & Steel Enterprises Holdings
Ltd. (GISE), called GISE-MBA New Plastics Technology Co.
Ltd., will build and operate a mechanical recycling plant
for end-of-life (EOL) E/E goods, white goods, and automotive
parts in the Nansha development area, using MBA's separation
technology. The technology separates not only plastics
from the (mostly mixed metals) shredder residue but also
separates plastics by material.
Mike Biddle, founder of MBA,
says the new plant—the first large-scale commercial
one using the technology—will be able to process
about 40,000 tonnes/yr by early 2005. A pilot plant
in Richmond, operating for nearly a decade, could process
10,000 to 15,000 tons/yr if enough EOL goods were collected.
In the U.S. they are not, but he says the next two to
three years is expected to bring legislation in China
requiring manufacturers to take back EOL goods and develop
recycling plans for these.
Flextronics, the world's largest
contract electronics manufacturer, is a minority investor
in MBA Polymers as is another "major player in
the plastics industry" that Biddle did not disclose.
MBA is already in talks regarding
other plants in China. Interest is also strong in Europe,
Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and India, says Biddle. Manufacturer
takeback of EOL goods is already legislated in Japan,
Taiwan, and Korea and soon will be in Europe.
According to the new report 'Electronics
Recycling: What to Expect from Global Mandates' from
Raymond Communications, electronics manufacturers in
Europe alone may need to spend up to $40 billion to
prepare takeback and recycling systems for compliance
with the Waste Electrical and Electronics (WEEE) directive,
which takes effect in 2006. Sony, Electrolux, Braun,
and Hewlett-Packard already have formed an alliance
to handle their pan-European collection scheme.
The report states that nine Japanese
electronics firms spent more than $1.5 billion on environmental
design and compliance in 2001-2002. In the U.S., the
Environmental Protection Agency has stopped financial
support of the National Electronics Product Stewardship
Initiative; it now receives only private funding. A
California law taxing televisions to support recycling
of those produces still awaits approval from the recently
elected governor.
Link : http://www.mbapolymers.com/
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