Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FPD Recycling. (CircularPro-Robust AI and robotics for the WEEE recycling sector)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-05-01 bis 2024-01-31
Turing waste electronic know as WEEE into a valuable commodity is a big problem and solving this problem changes the economics of the recycling industry. Our focus is on end-of-life TVs and monitors known as flat panel displays or FPDs. Our vision is that every used flat screen becomes a valuable commodity rather than hazardous waste.
WEEE is the fastest growing and most hazardous waste on the planet. In 2021 alone there were 54 Million tonnes of WEEE with a value of $57 Billion. The majority of this was lost!
According to the UN, based on our current consumption rate, by 2050 we will need 3 planet earths to maintain our current standard of living, however our reliance on virgin material is also under threat. For example, the quality of copper in mining ore has dropped by 30% while the mining cost increasing 4-fold in just 16 years. Both indicators are classic signs of depletion. During the same period CRM (Critical Raw Materials) like Indium which is in FPDs has less than a 1% recycling rate.
The WEEE industry is only 23 years old and is a legacy of scrap metal recycling. Outdated equipment such as shredding does not align with a net zero and a sustainable future. Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and hitting the EU recycling targets of 85% needs real disruption. The lack of technology has led to an unsustainable industry with pain points including the loss of critical raw materials (CRM) along with Health, Safety and Environmental issues. The industry is looking for alternatives and is now ripe for disruption and innovation.
The solution, requires innovation to make WEEE recycling safe, profitable, and sustainable, using the best available technologies. Our overall objective is the disruption of the WEEE recycling industry using our unique technology (the Circular PRO) as a pay per use subscription model, minimising capital outlay for the recycler.
The Circular PRO™ ensures operator safety, makes recyclers more profitable and scalable, and the EU’s dependency on Critical raw materials is reduced. The key features of the Circular PRO™ are de-pollution of hazardous Mercury tubing from TVs and monitors; separation of plastic types; auditable certification of Carbon Credits, identification of components for reuse; and monetisation of data generated from the Circular PRO™.
WEEE is the fastest growing and most hazardous waste on the planet. In 2021 alone there were 54 Million tonnes of WEEE with a value of $57 Billion. The majority of this was lost!
According to the UN, based on our current consumption rate, by 2050 we will need 3 planet earths to maintain our current standard of living, however our reliance on virgin material is also under threat. For example, the quality of copper in mining ore has dropped by 30% while the mining cost increasing 4-fold in just 16 years. Both indicators are classic signs of depletion. During the same period CRM (Critical Raw Materials) like Indium which is in FPDs has less than a 1% recycling rate.
The WEEE industry is only 23 years old and is a legacy of scrap metal recycling. Outdated equipment such as shredding does not align with a net zero and a sustainable future. Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and hitting the EU recycling targets of 85% needs real disruption. The lack of technology has led to an unsustainable industry with pain points including the loss of critical raw materials (CRM) along with Health, Safety and Environmental issues. The industry is looking for alternatives and is now ripe for disruption and innovation.
The solution, requires innovation to make WEEE recycling safe, profitable, and sustainable, using the best available technologies. Our overall objective is the disruption of the WEEE recycling industry using our unique technology (the Circular PRO) as a pay per use subscription model, minimising capital outlay for the recycler.
The Circular PRO™ ensures operator safety, makes recyclers more profitable and scalable, and the EU’s dependency on Critical raw materials is reduced. The key features of the Circular PRO™ are de-pollution of hazardous Mercury tubing from TVs and monitors; separation of plastic types; auditable certification of Carbon Credits, identification of components for reuse; and monetisation of data generated from the Circular PRO™.
The project delivered a fully functional Circular Pro™ prototype ready for deployment. These were successfully installed on two customer sites as planned. The fully functional Circular Pro™ enables a new sustainable, circular, and innovative approach to recover critical raw materials (CRM) and clean component parts ready for reuse.
Feature 1 of the Circular PRO™ utilises advanced deep technology including 3D vision, robotics, and an Artificial Intelligence platform to provide a flexible automation solution for the recyclers of waste FPDs. Feature 1 has been developed to depollute the waste products and material fractions by removing screens and Mercury containing CCFL bulbs in a safe and environmentally friendly manner in a monitored controlled environment. Designed to process 80 units/hr, Feature 1 minimises labour requirements and serves as the foundation of the Circular PRO to transform the FPD recycling process from a growing concern to a scalable profitable process. The feature successfully reached TRL 8 by end of this project.
Feature 2: Identification of polymers and BFR elements using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) has been completed and successfully reached TRL 8 by end of project.
Feature 3: Certification of Carbon Credits; We are the first company globally, using the UN methodologies, to successfully register a project for WEEE carbon credits and be awarded with the Gold Standard.
Feature 4: Component harvesting using computer vision, AI and robotics. The complex nature of the component harvesting feature is divided in two parts, (1) the Vision and AI solution which has been completed, and (2) the Mechanical Removal using robotics which is now nearing the final stages of completion and is expected to be fully complete in April 2024.
Feature 5: Data valorisation using computer vision and AI has been developed from a data gathering perspective. Reading & Scanning technologies are fully developed. Feature 5 is fully functional.
Feature 1 of the Circular PRO™ utilises advanced deep technology including 3D vision, robotics, and an Artificial Intelligence platform to provide a flexible automation solution for the recyclers of waste FPDs. Feature 1 has been developed to depollute the waste products and material fractions by removing screens and Mercury containing CCFL bulbs in a safe and environmentally friendly manner in a monitored controlled environment. Designed to process 80 units/hr, Feature 1 minimises labour requirements and serves as the foundation of the Circular PRO to transform the FPD recycling process from a growing concern to a scalable profitable process. The feature successfully reached TRL 8 by end of this project.
Feature 2: Identification of polymers and BFR elements using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) has been completed and successfully reached TRL 8 by end of project.
Feature 3: Certification of Carbon Credits; We are the first company globally, using the UN methodologies, to successfully register a project for WEEE carbon credits and be awarded with the Gold Standard.
Feature 4: Component harvesting using computer vision, AI and robotics. The complex nature of the component harvesting feature is divided in two parts, (1) the Vision and AI solution which has been completed, and (2) the Mechanical Removal using robotics which is now nearing the final stages of completion and is expected to be fully complete in April 2024.
Feature 5: Data valorisation using computer vision and AI has been developed from a data gathering perspective. Reading & Scanning technologies are fully developed. Feature 5 is fully functional.
Reliable solutions with improved safety for the workforce and the environment are the main gains for SME Recyclers. Our TaaS (Technology as a Service) business model offers an affordable and accessible solution with low upfront capital requirements. The certification of GHG reduction through material recycling & reuse, CRM recovery and the buy-back of high-quality processed fractions creates innovative new revenue streams for these recyclers that they currently do not have access to. The solution is designed to process 80 screens per hour, 4 times faster than manual disassembly. Providing reliable user-friendly service with the hardware solutions allows smooth operation for recyclers without life cycle technological risk and logistical issues.
Increased material quality leading to increased profitability is the main gain for downstream processors. Where reuse and remanufacturing is not possible, the concentrated and pure material fractions can be fed into specialised downstream processing to recycle valuable and critical metals (Al,Cu,Fe,In,Sn) thus improving overall resource recovery and increasing revenue streams for these processors. The recycler’s logistics costs are covered by the downstream processor which is offset by each processor receiving the best and purest WEEE stream for their process. This results in better economic outcomes for both the downstream processor and the local SME recycler.
Commercial benefits will be recognised by responsible producers whose products are disposed of in a safe, sustainable manner while keeping valuable components in circulation. Our data insights gives a detailed analysis of what, when and where FPDs are recycled thereby giving added value. Effective compliance against industry & regulatory standards can be achieved with certifications of destruction, leading to a full chain of custody in the recycling chain. This can hinder illegal transboundary shipments of their waste FPDs and the illicit organised criminal organisations who operate in the WEEE industry.
Increased material quality leading to increased profitability is the main gain for downstream processors. Where reuse and remanufacturing is not possible, the concentrated and pure material fractions can be fed into specialised downstream processing to recycle valuable and critical metals (Al,Cu,Fe,In,Sn) thus improving overall resource recovery and increasing revenue streams for these processors. The recycler’s logistics costs are covered by the downstream processor which is offset by each processor receiving the best and purest WEEE stream for their process. This results in better economic outcomes for both the downstream processor and the local SME recycler.
Commercial benefits will be recognised by responsible producers whose products are disposed of in a safe, sustainable manner while keeping valuable components in circulation. Our data insights gives a detailed analysis of what, when and where FPDs are recycled thereby giving added value. Effective compliance against industry & regulatory standards can be achieved with certifications of destruction, leading to a full chain of custody in the recycling chain. This can hinder illegal transboundary shipments of their waste FPDs and the illicit organised criminal organisations who operate in the WEEE industry.