The Recycling Potential of Submersible Sewage Pumps in the EU

• Published in: Recycling (Basel) Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 14 - 0
• Main Authors: Psomopoulos, Constantinos, Barkas, Dimitrios, Ioannidis, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01.06.2018
• Subjects: industrial waste reduction; materials recovery; sewage pump recycling; WEEE Directive
• ISSN: 2313-4321; 2313-4321
• DOI: 10.3390/recycling3020014

Sewage pumps have been among the main electromechanical equipment of the sewage and wastewater management facilities around Europe for over 30 years. Their operational life ranges between 15 and 20 years. Therefore, a significant proportion of that equipment is currently non-operational, and many of them must be disposed of in the forthcoming years. Although the "Waste electrical and electronic equipment" Directive (2012/19/EU) is the main related legislation, sewage pumps are not directly addressed. EcoDesign Legislation is the main legislation applicable on such cases. This work investigates the possibilities of recycling sewage pumps used in wastewater management facilities after their renovation or upgrade. Evaluation results indicate that there is high potential for material recovery and for significant economic benefit. Therefore, the recovery of materials and safe handling of non-operating industrial and possibly hazardous electrical equipment waste, could contribute to the minimization of their impact on the environment.