RECYCOMB: European recycling project

The treatment of waste has become a problem of international importance. Concretely, the recycling of plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment is particularly significant due to use in their manufacture of critical components such as specific bromates or heavy metal additives. Thus the need to find ecological solutions for the treatment of these goods.

This European project arose as a result of the need to continue with the work started in 1998 with the COMBIDENT project, finalised in 2001 and in which GAIKER also took part.

The aim of the RECYCOMB project is to develop a system for the automatic identification and separation of waste plastics and, after a pulverisation and reprocessing stage, enabling the closure of the lifecycle of the product. As a consequence, this project will bring with it innovations, achievements and experiences in automated identification and separation processing and the in techniques of recycled materials at an industrial level. Also, it is believed that development and implantation of the new technology will help in the creation of employment at a European level.

Moreover, it is hoped that the results obtained will bring new high levels of technology which will translate into increased profitability for European small and medium-sized companies. This is because, given the directives referring to waste management of electrical and electronic equipment and to restrictions on the use of dangerous substances in the sector, there will exist a potential market for both the know-how and the technological equipment developed. The RECYCOM project (supported by SONY) is a community initiative which will last for two years. Companies participating are LLA, FIEDLER OPTOELEKTRNIC, KRALL, INDUMETAL RECYCLING, ARCC, VAUCHE from Germany, Spain, Italy or France and also the German Farnhofer-Institut für Chemische Tecnologie (FhG-ICT) and GAIKER Technological Centres.

Contact :
Edorta Larrauri Teran
GAIKER, Centro Tecnológico
Larrauri@gaiker.es
(+34) 946002323