E-waste recycling facility

TES-AMM has begun operations in Australia to provide assistance to IT manufacturers, businesses and consumers in recycling e-waste.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, approximately 1.6 million computers are dumped in landfill each year, with another 1.8 million stored away in a garage or office backroom. Only approximately 500,000 computers are actually recycled out of approximately 7 million which reach their end of life.

The company has reported that its goal is to improve the low recycling rates and raise the standard for e-waste recycling by eliminating land-filling and illegal exports. It has established a national e-waste collection network with partnerships with various local electronics waste processors and possesses a hazardous waste export permit issued by the Department of Environment and Heritage under the Hazardous Waste Act (Regulation of Exports and Imports). It can also offer accountability and traceability through the entire recycling process via its eWTS (e-waste tracking software) and ISO management system.

The company uses a hydrometallurgical (chemical) process to recover precious metals from electronic scrap. The contained process is claimed to be able to capture harmful solid, liquid and gaseous emissions.

The re-use–recycle methodology used by the company means that functioning electronic equipment which does not possess intellectual property or security considerations is usually tested and recovered for re-use down through to the component level. This methodology can result in higher economic returns for users.

Along with e-recycling solutions, TES-AMM has also invested in research and development and has commercialised technologies for recycling Lithium-Ion batteries, epoxy plastic and printer cartridges.