What to do when your old appliance?

Campaigns and warnings there, but we can still find many end-of-life appliances together of ecopoints and dustbins.

The situation is detrimental to the environment: some equipment such as refrigerators, cell phones, computers and monitors contain toxic substances and harmful to the environment. When they are not dismantled according to environmental safety standards, they eventually release into the atmosphere extremely harmful substances, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, among others, constitute a risk to the environment and public health.

On the other hand, recycling of electrical equipment allows for the recovery of raw materials such as plastic and glass, but also valuable substances such as copper or gold.

According to Amb3E, only about 30 to 40% of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are properly treated and recycled, existing unofficial channels of collection of WEEE.

What to do with the old appliance?

For all these reasons, it is important that people know how and where they can deposit their used equipment.

If you want to purchase a new equipment, can free exchange of new for old, since the new equipment fulfils the same function. This rule extends to the home delivery.

If you do not want to purchase a new equipment can forward as follows:

1. small appliances such as blenders, cell phones, radios, among others, can be deposited on one of the existing Electron Point throughout the country (see locations on www.amb3e.pt).

2. Major equipment or large amounts of waste can be delivered in one of the reception centres that are prepared to receive, free of charge, all streams of WEEE

3. delivery in the firemen with Protocol with Amb3E

4. it is also possible to request the services of the Town Hall of the place of residence to collect on site.

What happens to my machine after I deliver?

Once delivered, the WEEE is collected through the logistic system managed by Amb3E. The equipments are sent for treatment and recovery in UTV. Once separated into five streams follow for dismantling being its separate components, some later incorporated into new equipment.

Finally, some equipment can still be recovered and reused and are delivered by Amb3E to institutions of social solidarity, through Entrajuda.

Still have doubts about the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment? All information about the local network of reception of Amb3E can be found on the website www.amb3e.pt or 800262333 across the green line.

Foto: Greg Walters, sob licença Creative Commons

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