WEEE recycler SWEEEP Kuusakoski has acquired the world's first furnace capable of recovering pure glass and lead from CRT;s used in TVs and PCs. The waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling company is the first to by the furnace from Nulife Glass for commercial use. It is expected to be up and running by April 2012. The lead extraction furnace is thought to be a breakthrough for the WEEE industry, which has struggled to find a way to recycle hazardous leaded glass from CRTs ecologically since world demand switched to flat screen TVs. SWEEEP contracts manager Justin Greenaway said: "CRT glass has been a headache for the industry because it is difficult to discard. Having this furnace available is a big jump towards genuine sustainable recycling for the industry." TV's containing CRT glass are no longer recovered in a closed-loop process to make new sets. Large electrical goods manufacturers have been closing plants in response, meaning that end of life solutions for the glass have diminished.
