Finland started observing the EU's directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at the beginning of August. Ekokem Oy Ab, which was set up in 1979, has in-depth experience in this subject. As the years have gone by, two billion kilos of hazardous waste have been rendered harmless.

"Since 2002 our recovery plant for refrigeration equipment has handled almost 300,000 parts." says development engineer Jorma Manninen.

There will still be plenty of work. The number of parts of refrigeration equipment that will be withdrawn from use annually is expected to approach another 300,000 in Finland in the next five years.

Services and innovation for 30 countries

Manninen says that Ekokem's recovery plant for refrigeration equipment is the only one its kind in the world. The innovation combines two technologies in a new way.
"A special technology developed by the Germans is extremely well suited to the mechanical handling of refrigeration equipment, whereas Ekokem's high temperature incineration technology is suited to the safe handling of Freon gases, which weaken the ozone layer in the atmosphere when released from refrigeration equipment."

Ekokem has exported the processing services for problem waste to more than 30 countries. Ekokem's special processing techniques have also been patented and sold to other leading processing plants in Europe e.g. in Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Great Britain.

Ekokem and Electrolux cooperate

According to the requirements of the WEEE Directive, the responsibility for arranging the waste management of electrical and electronic equipment withdrawn from circulation will move to the producers i.e. manufacturers and importers.

In May Ekokem Oy Ab and Oy Electrolux Ab Kotitalouskoneet made an agreement that is in accord with the producer responsibility legislation. The latter, Finland's biggest importer of refrigeration equipment, will send all the refrigeration equipment it collects to Ekokem's recovery plant.

"More than 90 per cent of the materials used in their production will be processed for reclamation in the form of a new raw material or energy. Components that are unsuitable for reclamation and harmful to health or the environment, or dangerous will be processed safely, says Manninen.

>> www.ekokem.fi

Refrigeration equipment is crushed in the multi-stage crusher, after which the CFC gases in the insulation are led to incineration in a gas-tight process.