Our impact in 2020
We accomplished a lot in spite of a year of lockdowns, telework, and web meetings. Let us look back on the highlights of 2020 with lots of gratitude and pride.
Generation R
We launched the Generation R campaign to encourage all Belgians to pass on their garden and work tools (Reuse), have them fixed up (Refurbish and Repair), or collected for Recycling. Recupel’s biennial survey shows that there are no less than 4.8 million unused tools in our garden sheds and garages. This is good for 14,000 tonnes of iron and 2,000 tonnes of copper. These are raw materials that are becoming increasingly scarce and perfectly recyclable. More than 80% of unused devices still work and only have to find their way to a new user. Of the rest, we can get iron that in weight is equivalent to 28 fully fuelled aeroplanes. In addition, we get copper that in weight is equivalent to one and a half Statues of Liberty.
Online repair tool
This is a new tool on our website that allows consumers to find out what their rights and options are for giving broken devices a new life. By answering simple multiple-choice questions, they get tailored advice on their devices’ warranties and find out where to go for repairs. We also provide them with useful addresses for devices with an expired warranty.
New brand positioning
Together with our stakeholders, we worked out a new brand and communication strategy over the past year. The first result of this thought exercise is our campaign on the collection of light bulbs and light fixtures. To this end, we engaged cartoonist-comedians Philippe Geluck and Jeroom. They put the spotlight on the memories we owe to our light bulbs and the beautiful moments we will have with the raw materials we recover from them.
Recupel is responsible for collecting gas discharge lamps (such as energy-saving bulbs and fluorescent lamps), LED lamps, and light fixtures. These contain recyclable materials, such as glass and fluorescent powder as well as harmful substances, such as mercury, which must be handled safely. Almost 15% of our light bulbs are unintentionally discarded in household waste, bulky waste, or glass containers. With the help of Geluck and Jeroom, we encourage people to bring in those light bulbs.
Partnerships in coronavirus times
The circular economy requires the work of many hands. For example, for years, we have set up collection campaigns with GoodPlanet, Natuurpunt, and others. Smooth collaboration is indispensable for Recupel’s operation especially in the coronavirus epoch. In 2020, we organised a large online meeting in Brussels for the first time to strengthen the collaboration between the different links in the recycling chain. From collectors and transporters to sector organisations, everyone coming into contact with discarded electrical and electronic equipment received instructions and was given the opportunity to ask questions.
Recupel is also active internationally as a part of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum. Every year on 14 October, we organise International E-Waste Day together with various countries. Last year, we were one of the pioneers in the WEEE Flows study that compared the collection rates in different countries.
Artificial intelligence project in 2020
Since 2018, we have been working with IDLab, an imec research group at the University of Antwerp, on a project to recognise and catalogue collected devices using artificial intelligence. Over the past year, we were able to refine the system as you can see in the video above. The pilot project was also extended to a second site in Les Hautes Ardennes. At the same time, we started tests to make the system use a conveyor belt instead of manually placing the devices on the sampling station. This improves how smaller devices are weighed and photographed.