A huge amount of glass from Europe's electronic waste is not recycled, even though there are plenty of opportunities to do so. A new innovation from Stena makes it possible to convert old monitors to x-ray protection glass.
“With this new patented product, we can utilize more of the glass in electronic waste,” says Detlef Oertel, responsible for R&D in the board of GRIAG Glasrecycling, which is part of the Stena Metall Group. “The new lead glass product protects against radiation and can be used, for example, at hospitals.”
Only 35 percent of the glass in Europe's electronics waste is recycled. This means that around 300,000 tons of glass aren't used for material recycling even though there are proven methods to process it. Since its start, GRIAG Glasrecycling, part of the Stena Metall Group, has recycled glass from over ten million TV sets and monitors at its facility outside Berlin.
“We recycle glass from electronic waste from customers in ten European countries. The potential market for the material is strong, and in the years ahead we expect to double capacity,” says Staffan Johansson, president of GRIAG Glasrecycling.
In recent years the company has developed innovative new products from the glass in electronic waste. “With our new x-ray protection glass, it will be possible to convert glass from television and computer monitors to a new product with environmental advantages,” he continues. “Independent tests show that the radiation protection is comparable to that of existing products on the market.”
One of the benefits of the new recycled x-ray glass is that it is fully transparent which is unique among products on the market . It can also be manufactured in many sizes. “Initially we will be focusing on customers that need radiation protection from medical equipment, but eventually we expect that the product will be used in several different industries.”
Staffan Johansson describes how one of his colleagues at Stena passed a security checkpoint at an airport with the x-ray lead glass in his bag. “When he passed through the control, the security guard’s monitor went completely dark and he wanted to know what my colleague was carrying. This was further proof that the product works as well as it should,” he concludes.
Press images:
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For general information on Stena’s glass recycling and on new products, please contact:
Staffan Johansson, President of GRIAG Glasrecycling AG
staffan.johansson@stenametall.se
Tel. +46 705 64 70 29, +49 33 920 50 80
For more information on research and development, please contact:
Detlef Oertel
detlef.oertel@stenametall.de
Tel +49 33 92 05 08 25, +49 17 23 94 61 54
About the WEEE Business Area and the Stena Metall Group
The Stena Metall Group is Europe's leading electronics recycler, a business it established in the early 1990s. The WEEE Business Area has operations in ten countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Romania and Italy. Using the same proven and efficient processes, Europe's electronic waste is recycled at all of the Group's facilities. An important goal is to develop the market’s leading services for customers, the environment and society.
www.stenametall.com