Large Device Electronic Waste Recycling Plant – LDA

LDA – Large Domestic Appliance & Fridge Recycling Plant

Is the first and only facility in Israel for recycling large and complex electronic waste. LDA specializes mainly in products containing heating and cooling gases, such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.

This state-of-the-art facility was established by the All Trade Recycling company (All Recycling), Electra corp. and the M.A.I. Israel Electronics Recycling Corporations. The LDA plant operates mostly without human involvement and is equipped with advanced recycling technologies for the treatment of polluting gases and oils, as well as for the dismantling, shredding and recovery of raw materials for industrial use. Part of the recycling process requires special treatment of refrigerant gases – HFC and CFC – which are the most harmful greenhouse gases.

The facility meets the requirements of the strict CENELEC European recycling standards for the treatment of complex electronic waste. In addition, LDA processes refrigerant gases in an environmental manner and prevents them from being released into the air, adversely affecting global warming. The LDA facility has an annual capacity of 300,000 units for treatment, and the ability to prevent up to 600,000 megatons of Co2-equivalent emissions.

Refrigerator recycling process

The recycling process lasts a total of about a minute and allows the factory to take in about 60 refrigerators per hour.

Refrigerator recycling stages:

• Transportation from the customer’s home to the recycling plant.

• Cutting of the electrical cables and removal of glass parts (shelves, doors).

• Pumping of the refrigerant gases and oils from the compressor.

• Stripping of aluminum and copper piping, removal of the compressor and electrical components.

• Recycling of the clean of gas and oils compressor into copper and iron.

• Shredding of the refrigerator in a closed facility.

• Separation of materials into:

o Polyurethane sealing foam (PUR)
o Iron
o Plastic
o Aluminum and copper

Environmental treatment of refrigerant gases and insulating gases

The environmental impact of the refrigerant gases, which are part of refrigerators and air conditioners, is very significant, as they are particularly harmful greenhouse gases. One old refrigerator contains a refrigerant gas that has a similar effect on climate change as a private car that travels 100,000 km.

Harmful gases are present in two places in a refrigerator: the compressor has refrigerant gases that can be pumped out relatively easily, but most of the harmful gas in refrigerators is in the insulation foam (which is inflated with greenhouse gases). Failure to treat appropriately, in accordance with the CENELEC standard, will lead to air and soil pollution.

The LDA facility also handles refrigerators that contain the flammable pentane gas, and their shredding is carried out while injecting nitrogen, which is produced from air.