ABOUT VOTECHNIK

Votechnik developed a series of cutting-edge innovative robotic technologies for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) recycling. LCD is an electronic display that is found in smartphones, tablets, televisions, and many other electronics. Votechnik’s robotic technology removes components containing hazardous substances from LCDs (e.g., mercury-containing lamps), and prepare non- hazardous materials for recycling.

THE CHALLENGE

The electronics industry is one of the top eight industries responsible for more than half of the world’s total carbon footprint. In 2020, the equivalent of 580 million metric tons of CO2 were emitted by Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (Singh and Ogunseitan, 2022). That is more than the emissions generated by Canada in a year (525 million metric tons) (World Bank, 2023).

LCDs have become the dominant technology in devices that contain displays. The rate at which people replace their devices every year results in an avalanche of discarded electronic waste. In fact, only about 38% of electronics that enter the market are subsequently collected; the remainder are discarded (European Commission, 2020). LCD monitors are among the most dangerous electronic devices to discard because they contain toxic metals, including mercury, which can harm both humans and the environment.

LCDs also contain rare earth metals, such as indium, which is one of the earth’s least prevalent minerals (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023).

If Indium recovery is not increased, reserves may become smaller, affecting the supply chain.

THE CIRCULAR OPPORTUNITY

Votechnik emerged from the University of Limerick, backed by the European Commission, and supported by world- class industrial players such as Siemens and KUKA. Votechnik has spent the last 10 years developing, testing, and operating their technology to the highest industry standards. They are certified compliant with the European Standard EN50625 for WEEE treatment, and their business model is specifically designed to address the EU legislative WEEE Directive.

Votechnik offers a wide range of LCD recycling technologies, one of them being their Indium Recovery System, which is designed specifically to extract indium from WEEE glass panels. Their indium recovery technology is called IND2000 and is supplied as a machine to recyclers who run the process with Votechnik’s support. Votechnik’s technology is used to release and capture indium from the glass panels, achieving high extraction rates and minimizing waste. Purification techniques are used to refine the extracted indium, ensuring its quality and suitability for reuse in various applications. Furthermore, clean glass fractions are generated from the process, which can be reused in the production of the new glass products. The Indium Recovery System is designed to comply with international standards and regulations.

CLIMATE IMPACT

By recovering this critical raw material from waste electronics, Votechnik’s Indium Recovery System ensures a stable and reliable supply chain for businesses, by reducing dependence on imported indium from China. It further contributes to environmental preservation by efficiently extracting indium from glass panels, preventing it from being lost in landfills or incinerated, and reducing dependency on indium mining.

REPLICABILITY

The electronic device industry is growing. The combined sales of smartphones, televisions, and computers in 2021 were USD$ 880 billion, with growth rates in 2022 expected to range between 3% - 4% (Stewart and Crossan, 2022). Votechnik has effectively incorporated a circular business model into the booming electronics market, decreasing virgin resource consumption while assisting Ireland in meeting its WEEE collection targets.

Recovery and reuse are becoming increasingly prevalent as nations strive to meet climate targets. KMK Metals Recycling, another CIRCULÉIRE member, provides environmentally sound management of waste metal in all forms. They collect and process 75% of Ireland’s WEEE. KMK Metals are partners with Votechnik on both their IND2000 technology plus their ALR4000 technology. The ALR4000 technology depollutes LCD displays, allowing them to be shredded before the secondary raw materials are recovered.