A COMPANY that operates an electrical recycling facility has invested more than £70,000 in new technology to meet strict European regulations.

The Electrical Recycling Company (ERC), which is part of the Yorwaste Group, has spent £78,000 on a new enclosed conveyor system at its Hessay facility on the outskirts of York.

It means the hazardous phosphorus coating present television glass can be filtered out in an enclosed environment.

The bespoke piece of equipment means ERC’s new recycling operation at Hessay continues to meet national and international standards for the treatment and storage of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

The company is one of only a few in the UK which is not only an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) but also complies with the European government’s Best Available Treatment Recovery & Recycling Techniques (BATRRT).

Paul Sellers, ERC’s recycling manager, said: “The new CRT glass feed enclosed conveyor system now ensures the glass in the televisions is safely processed and stored, with the hazardous phosphorus coating being filtered out as part of this process, before being taken to a treatment facility for final recycling.

“All businesses have a legal responsibility to dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipment via correctly licensed recyclers like ERC and this investment in new technology will hopefully generate even more business for the company.”

ERC currently processes between 700 and 1,000 television sets per day, along with computer monitors and smaller electrical items such as toasters.

More than 96 per cent of all the televisions and computer monitors handled by ERC are now recycled. After treatment CRT glass can eventually be reused in new televisions or fluorescent light-bulbs.