6 minute read
It pays to find a happy home for
It pays to Find a happy home for used kit
As interest in the ecological and economic benefits of re-use rather than recycling gathers pace, David Lenehan, Managing Director at Northern Industrial, explains the options when it comes to disposing of old kit and how taking the right approach can provide financial income from old machinery that might otherwise have just been sent to the crusher.
In July 2020, a statement issued jointly by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the Welsh Government and the Scottish
Government confirmed the UK’s ongoing commitment to the EU’s Circular Economy Package (CEP), which introduces a revised legislative framework, identifying steps for the reduction of waste and establishing an ambitious and credible long-term path for waste management and recycling.
The Ellen MacArthur
Foundation defines a circular economy as looking beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model. It says that a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system.
Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the Foundation says the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital, based on three principles: 1. Design out waste and pollution 2. Keep products and materials in use 3. Regenerate natural systems
With a clearer focus on item two above, it is possible to make a significant contribution to this global commitment whilst also maximising the overall investment efficiency of new and replacement assets by profiting from the ongoing use of used machinery and equipment that has become surplus to requirements.
If we move to a focus on selling used equipment to extend its working life within the global economy, rather than recycling it simply for materials, industrial equipment users and repair professionals can contribute massively to worldwide environmental goals.
The ability now to sell used kit to eager buyers worldwide provides a financial stimulus that goes beyond environmental altruism and can boost the economic efficiency of industry as a whole. DISPOSAL OPTIONS When disposing of old kit, the options currently available are WEEE recycling, auctions, eBay, or selling to a reseller. All have their pros and cons, but
Industrial equipment some provide users and repair opportunities for cash returns, professionals can contribute massively to worldwide which can be used to offset the investment environmental goals. costs in new or replacement equipment, often with very little time commitment if you choose the right option. WEEE RECYCLING The most common form of old kit disposal is to call in a WEEE recycling company. According to the WEEE Regulations, there are 14 main types of WEEE
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Coil Manufacturing Winding & Taping
Ridgway Machines manufactures a full range of Coil Manufacturing Equipment, including Rotor Winders, Loop Winders and ancillary equipment such as Capstan Tension Units, Winding Beams and Drum Stands.
Ridgway Machines also manufacture a range of BCT Coil Taping Machines designed for the fast, precision application of tape insulation systems to a wide variety of components – including motor and generator stator coils and bars.
Loop Winders
BCT Coil Taping Machines Rotor Winders
Straighten Strip and Cut Machine Band Tension Units
Drum Stands
(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) waste that must be disposed of legally and responsibly.
WEEE waste typically contains a large combination of materials, possibly including toxic materials such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, which are obviously bad for the environment when they leak into and contaminate soil, waterways and surrounding areas.
A WEEE recycling company will collect your old equipment for a fee and ensure it is disposed of in compliance with the WEEE regulations.
Once your WEEE waste has been collected, the WEEE recycler will take it to a specialised reprocessing plant, where it is shredded into small pieces ready for recycling. After the equipment has been shredded, strong magnets are used to remove precious metals while electronic currents are used to remove nonmetallic elements, with plastics also separated for material recycling.
The upside of taking this approach is the ease of disposal and the assurance of regulatory compliance. The downside is the fees that add to the burden of any investment in new or replacement kit. Also, some would argue that base materials recycling is the lowest common denominator in terms of the circular economy. Although WEEE recycling is fully regulatory compliant, the sad fact is that perfectly useable equipment can end up in the shredder along with everything else.
AUCTIONS One way to see your old equipment dodge the shredder, while also having an extended useful life, and possibly providing you with a pretty penny in return, is to send it to an auction.
Specialist auction houses will sell off your used kit and give you a share of the sale price, after their cut. This can be a great way to make cash from what might otherwise have cost you for disposal by a WEEE recycler.
The downsides, though, are that auction houses will generally not pick up your kit – it’s down to you to transport it to them. Also, most auction houses are only interested in the large, fully intact pieces of kit you might want to sell.
They are not interested in smaller items that may form a large part of your waste, and they may be reluctant to include items that need reconditioning. Once you have taken your larger items to auction, you may still need to call upon a WEEE recycler for the smaller or poorer condition items that couldn’t be auctioned.
EBAY If you want to avoid auctioneer fees, eBay is an option. You may get a good price for your kit, but the downsides are the extended responsibilities and times in disposal. Do you want to spend your time as a part-time e-tailer, dealing with random and sometimes volatile customers?
The truth of the matter is that, while auctions or eBay can provide cash for your old kit, they can both be a huge drain in terms of risk, time and effort, which most people don’t see as being worth it in the context of their prime responsibilities – keeping current kit going.
SELL TO A RESELLER One solution that takes minimum time and provides risk-free returns is selling to a reseller. The internet has opened up a global market for used kit and obsolete machinery. Companies such as Northern Industrial buy-up used equipment wholesale for a fair market price. They then recondition it and sell it under warranty, often to customers from all over the world. Possibly buying the equipment as a job lot, they will handle the WEEE compliant recycling of any equipment they buy that they cannot recondition or sell.
The immediate benefits are that disposal operations are simplified while costs are turned into income.
As the world moves towards achieving a much more circular economy, huge growth is expected in this type of operation as globally we move towards making greater use of our resources and the culture of waste goes into decline. TIMES-CIRCLE
David Lenehan, Managing Director at Northern Industrial
