For cooling yesterday, for heating today – with some innovative recycling inbetween. REMONDIS Electrorecycling’s fridge recycling operations recover a variety of materials including aluminium. Which can be used to make new products once it has been smelted down. For example to make elegant espresso makers.

Input material

Discarded appliances are sent to us so we can recycle them. Every year, we handle over 30,000 tonnes of material at our dismantling centre.

Recycling

Just a fraction of the materials are unable to be recycled. Learn more about our output.

Climate action

A single fridge containing CFCs can have the same negative impact on our climate as a car driven 11,000 kilometres. This fact alone means these gases mustn’t be allowed to escape!

Responsibility

Recycling begins with each individual person. Only those appliances that are handed in to retailers or household recycling centres are sent for recycling.

Dismantling process

How exactly are cooling appliances recycled? The whole process can be seen here.

No longer suitable for cooling or freezing?
It’s time to recover the recyclables

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) covers any device that has a plug or battery and that has come to the end of its useful life. Cooling and freezing appliances make up a large proportion of this equipment and REMONDIS’ WEEE recycling experts have all the specialist machinery needed to dismantle and process these particular appliances at the Lippe Plant. The company uses a number of different processes to remove the pollutants and recover the recyclables for reuse.

Take a look inside our facility.
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REMONDIS Electrorecycling’s dismantling centre uses manual dismantling and sorting processes as well as automated systems, such as shredding, counting and weighing equipment.

Recovering recyclables according to type. And as cleanly as possible

REMONDIS’ expectations are high when it comes to dismantling cooling appliances – and that can best be seen by our output materials. Practically everything that goes through our dismantling systems can be processed for reuse. The number of components that can’t be recycled (e.g. capacitors, refrigerants and blowing agents) is very small and these are sent to hazardous waste incineration plants. They are, however, a fraction of the material delivered to our facility. Everything else can be recovered and processed. By the way, the range of output material is truly impressive. Dozens of different subcategories are generated by our recycling processes. Including shredded non-ferrous metal such as copper and aluminium which is transported straight to smelting businesses. There’s no better way to close material life cycles.
- The fridge/freezer dismantling operations at the Lippe Plant recover over 20,000 tonnes of recycled raw materials every year.

Thanks to the range of facilities that REMONDIS Electrorecycling has set up at the Lippe Plant, it is able to treat all types of cooling and freezing appliances. Its advanced technology, smart systems and – last but by no means least – highly trained staff all ensure that it can deliver the highest level of WEEE recycling. What’s more, REMONDIS continues to invest in new technologies and facilities so that it remains this way.

Zur Kurzübersicht

Out of sight but not out of mind

According to the German WEEE law [ElektroG], any device with a plug or a battery must be handed in to a shop or household recycling centre. It is particularly important that cooling and freezing appliances are collected because they contain substances that are harmful for our climate and for our health. The only way to ensure that these appliances end up at professional recyclers such as REMONDIS Electrorecycling is for them to be handed over in line with the rules and regulations. And, of course, such businesses not only know how to safely remove these pollutants. As part of their operations, they also recover a whole variety of recyclable materials from the appliances so they can be returned to industry. From aluminium, iron and copper, to various grades of plastic.

For all those interested in the legal details: the ElektroG law as a PDF (German)

The de-gassing unit at our dismantling centre in REMONDIS’ Lippe Plant

Zur Kurzübersicht

Have you ever wondered what happens to your old fridge when you hand it in for recycling? Then why not take a look at our step-by-step guide to see how the process works?!

A film on recycling cooling appliances

Find out all about the services offered by REMONDIS Electrorecycling – the operator of the dismantling centre at the Lippe Plant – by going to its website remondis-electrorecycling.de

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