Cools treatment process

From collection and transport to recycling and delivery of recycled raw materials - together with Stena Technoworld you’ll get safe handling, maximized recycling rates and full control in the whole chain. No less than 98 percent of all material in your cooling appliances is recycled.

1. Collection with optimized logistics

When handling large quantities of cooling units it’s important to choose the optimal transport solution, as this affects the total climate footprint of the recycling process. We provide transports that minimize costs and environmental impact. Efficient utilization of transport capacity on trucks is an important factor. When possible we use railroad transportation to save CO2-emissions.

2. Manual process to remove hazardous waste

At our specially designed cools recycling plants the first step is to manually remove the compressor and take care of the compressor oil. Old mercury switches and capacitors are other examples of hazardous waste being removed. Cooling agents as freon, pentane, R12, R134a, R600a and ammonia are emptied and neutralized in a closed system.

We offer several advanced techniques that contribute to increased environmental benefits and increased safety, even for our dismantling personnel.
We also make sure that hazardous waste is properly taken care of so that there is nothing in our production that could cause hazardous emissions.

3. MECHANICAL refining PROCESS

When free from hazardous waste, the appliances are shredded and the materials separated into smaller fractions of iron, aluminium, copper and plastics. This is done in a highly efficient automated process – all to ultimately transform your discarded cooling appliances into first-rate secondary raw materials that can become new products.  

By processing the insulation in refrigerators with pressure and heat, we produce a powder that is used in an entirely new product developed by Stena: REPUR – a climate smart ground plate for drainage and insulation.

4. SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS FOR NEW PRODUCTS

Secondary raw materials are subsequently sold to our chosen partners around the world. These partners can be steel mills, smelting plants, foundries, plastic producers or other manufacturers.

Through collaboration, we join in supplying a global market with large volumes of high quality secondary raw materials from waste resources. Materials from discarded products become new attractive products – over and over again.

Documentation and downstream monitoring

When handling and recycling cooling equipment, it’s important to have control throughout the whole value chain. We take care of all transport documentation as well as the notification process. In case of any classification or legal issues, you always have access to support from our experts.

We supply the recycled material only to selected and monitored partners. You can be sure that all steps and processes in the value chain are conducted in a manner that is ethical, environmentally correct and socially responsible. We operate in accordance with standards as Cenelec and WEEElabex.