STADLER has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in weeeSwiss Technology AG, which specializes in the design, construction and operation of turn-key Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling plants.
With this move STADLER will extend its offering to include recycling of electronic waste.
WEEE is the fastest growing waste stream across the world, currently amounting to annual volumes around 50 million metric tons. The demand for recycling this material is rising fast, as legislation to regulate the management of electronic waste comes into force across the world to address the environmental impact of this waste and foster a circular economy where its component materials are recovered and reused.
TONY BELOT
STADLER acquires majority stake in weeeSwiss Technology AG
The growing public awareness of the importance of using more efficiently natural resources is also a factor in the push for recycling. On the other hand, electronic waste is a source of many materials that are in great demand for new low-carbon technologies and electronics, which translates into business opportunities for recycling operations.
The two companies will harness their combined know-how in the joint development of new solutions, processes and technologies for WEEE recycling. These efforts will benefit from the resources of STADLER’s innovation and test centers in Altshausen, Germany and Krsko, Slovenia. They will also build on the existing collaborations that weeeSwiss has established with Swiss universities.
Willi Stadler, CEO of Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH, said: “Through this partnership we are extending further our product line to include electronic waste, which is set to become an increasingly important sector in the recycling industry. Our customers will benefit from the expert know-how of weeeSwiss in WEEE recycling facilities together with the benefits of STADLER’s worldwide sales and service network, our strong project management capabilities and experience in building large sorting plants.”
Jochen Apfel, CEO of weeeSwiss, added: “With the growing needs of the market for metals that are directly involved in the evolution of our technologies, e-waste recycling is gaining importance by the day. It is a business with great opportunities because the demand is driving commodities prices up, so that they quickly pay back the investment in a plant. Countries across the world are seeing the environmental benefits of e-waste processing, and its business potential. Together with STADLER, weeeSwiss is in the ideal position to meet the requirements of this challenging market with market-leading WEEE recycling plants.”
