Recycla Chile launches hardware recycling facility

Chile has launched what it believes to be the first hardware recycling plant in South America, plant operator Recycla Chile said in a statement. The plant will break down old PCs, cell phones, printers, scanners, fax machines, photocopiers, TVs, video cameras, HiFi systems and audio equipment, creating a supply of raw materials and renovated components. Recycla Chile will also deal with non-ferrous scrap such as aluminum, copper, brass and stainless steel, which will be sent to Europe and Asia to be smelted in installations that meet more stringent environmental regulations than in Latin America. The project comes from the portfolio of local incubator Octantis, a division of the Adolfo Ibáñez university, and won funding from an innovation development fund run by the government's economic development agency Corfo. North American recycling firm Maxus is a strategic partner.