Just How Recyclable is My Radio?
- November 30, 2011
- Aviat Network, Carbon offset, Kilwinning, Landfill, Recycling, Scotland
Aviat Networks is working hard to reduce the landfill associated with its business activities and products and this includes ensuring that, where recycling facilities exist, customer units that have been damaged beyond repair are recycled. For example, every unit that is scrapped at Aviat’s Hamilton repair and return centre is segregated and sent to a recycling centre called Datec in Kilwinning, Scotland. Datec was chosen because it is the closest authorised treatment facility and this actively reduces the carbon emissions associated with the transportation of the scrapped units. They complete some manual disassembly of the units to recover the mechanics of the unit and the electrical boards are shredded. These shredded boards are then shipped to SiPi Metals in Chicago, United States. This level of processing ensures the highest possible recovery rate.
SiPi Metals specialises in recovering precious metals from electrical boards and these precious metals then obviously go on to live yet another life.
Recently, Aviat was provided with a detailed report showing the percentage by weight that is recycled. The average percentage across eleven shipments to Datec is 98.7%.
So the answer is that your microwave link is very recyclable indeed!
Better still, Datec has just started a new initiative that will offset the carbon emissions associated with any transportation involved in the recycling process. Aviat Networks is moving forward with carbon offsetting for all shipments to Datec and SiPi Metals. Datec’s carbon offsetting involves planting oak, birch, ash, willow and rowan trees in Scotland in recognition of the fact that Scotland has been heavily deforested and now has only 17% woodland coverage, compared with an average of 32% in mainland Europe. Their fledgling woodland is in a beautiful location in Highland Perthshire. Aviat Networks may attend a future tree planting event – by train, of course!
Recycling these scrap units ensures that less is sent to landfill, brings materials back into the supply chain for re-use and gives Aviat’s customers the assurance of an environmentally sound end-of-life for these units. Aviat Networks recognizes that the packaging that the unit arrives in is also important to reducing landfill. The Aviat ODU 600 Outdoor Unit ships to customers in a completely recyclable box. Aviat Networks is currently working on releasing other environmentally sustainable product packs to reduce landfill in all 150 countries where we have customers.
Ruth French
Product Compliance Manager
Aviat Networks