Background The production of electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing domains of manufacturing industry in the western world. In 1998, 6 million tonnes of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) was generated, with volumes expected to continue to increase by at least 3-5% per annum. Inefficient waste management procedures, especially a lack of proper pre-treatment, cause environmental problems due to the hazardous content of the WEEE and threat of leakage of dangerous chemicals and gases. Current systems used to dispose of end-of-life fridges and freezers are not always effective – producing recovered materials that retain a high level of contamination, or releasing latent CFCs into the atmosphere. In addition, many systems do not contain, or collect, Pentane from appliances. Although this gas is not harmful to the environment, it is highly inflammable and can cause explosions, posing a health and safety risk. While fridges and freezers can no longer be sent to landfill, high volumes of other large household electrical and electronic appliances are still disposed of through this route. These waste products cause negative environmental effects during land-filling, due to the variety of different substances they contain. Fridges and freezers are no longer incinerated, but high volumes of other large household appliances continue to use this disposal route. Incineration has been identified as the largest source of emissions of dioxins and furans to air in Europe. Objectives This project aimed to develop innovative techniques and methods to improve waste management. The plan was to first address the issue of refrigerators and freezers that have reached the end of their service life, and later the project would target the safer disposal of other large household WEEE. The overall objective was to create an innovative system to recover recyclable materials from a problematic waste stream. Specific goals were to: Safely decommission end-of-life fridges and freezers – recovering the materials using an optimal treatment option, with the lowest possible risk to human health and the environment. Eliminate the disposal of fridges and freezers via landfill or incineration – contributing to a reduction in the generation of dioxins, furans and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) Increase the level and quality of recovered materials for recycling – creating an alternative source of materials for manufacturing as an option to using new products Develop a new industrial process for the recovery or recycling of large household appliances, a problematic WEEE stream Demonstrate a solution that would takes R&D results and develop them into a commercially viable and transferable system. Results The project partly achieved its main objective of developing a demonstration plant for the safe decommission of fridges, freezers and large household WEEE items in a single process. Disappointingly, however, at project closure, a number of issues remained unresolved. Importantly, there was uncertainty over (i) the degree of innovation of the work carried out; and (ii) the development attained (concerning both the process and how the system would overcome obstacles and be widely implemented. The demonstration system provides an environmentally friendly solution enabling the recovery of this waste stream in a commercially viable and sustainable manner. The system supports the implementation of the EU’s 6th Action Waste Programme and also addressed concerns raised in the WEEE Directive 2000/158/EC. The monthly returns to the Environmental Authorities in the UK provide evidence that potentially harmful pollutants are being captured and that recovery of materials is high. The reduction in costs offered by the system is attractive to local authorities and municipalities who face mounting bills in relation to waste disposal. Standards for WEEE recycling in the UK have not yet been set by the national authorities. The project was supposed to contribute to the design of these standards, however, no evidence was provided to this effect. Similarly, it was intended that a target for the WEEE system was to get it established as a BAT. There is no evidence that this was achieved. The original aim was to develop an innovative system that dealt with recovery of materials from fridges, freezers and large household WEEE items in a single process. However, there appears to be an anomaly in that the original plant was purchased from SEG (a German company). It is unclear what modifications were made during the LIFE project to make the plant innovative. Despite these concerns, however, the plant is operating successfully and it is commercially viable. The plant is already operating to approximately three quarters capacity. The project also has the capacity to treat other types of WEEE in the future and could potentially expand.