Initiatives and Case Studies
Revolv
ReVolv was an initiative led by Votechnik and the University of Limerick, including Allied Automation, WEEE Ireland and the WEEE Forum. This project, developed by a consortium of researchers, recyclers and engineers, aimed to solve the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) stockpiling issue in Europe.
Partner Initiative / WEEE Ireland & Partners / Screens & Monitors / Recover / Recycle
Key Findings
- The technology developed by the ReVolv project is now employed at WEEE Ireland’s waste treatment contractor KMK Metals Recycling (Kilbeggan plant).
Summary
LCDs contain hazardous substances and are largely disassembled manually, making the process slow and expensive and resulting in the stockpiling of LCD screens. As explained by KMK, “LCDs and fluorescent tubes in flat-screen devices contain chemicals that could leach into the environment if the discarded TVs are not properly treated. Manual disassembly and removal of mercury- containing fluorescent tubes is laborious, time-consuming process and inefficient.”
The main outcome of the ReVolv project is the ALR 3000©, a fully automated machine designed to meet the WEEE Directive recycling rates and the needs of the flat panels recycling industry. This technology can process more than 60 LCDs per hour and safely separate the liquid crystal glass panel and mercury containing lamps from the LCD display.
This initiative was co-funded by the Eco-innovation initiative of the European Union.
For More Information
Contact the WEEE Ireland Compliance Team at info@weeeireland.ie if you have any questions about this project.