Cables, such as the popular 4k hdmi cable, are composed of a metal core, usually made from copper or aluminium, surrounded by a plastic insulation. Both materials being recyclable, old cables can be efficiently recycled – here is how the process goes:
- Old cables are collected by recycling companies that pay a predefined price for the cables. The price is composed of the price of the plastic material and the price of the metal. The alloys used in cables are usually fully recyclable, so the price paid for the metal component is around the market price for the specific alloy;
- After being collected, old cables are transported to a plant that uses dedicated technology to separate the plastic from the metal. The process involves the granulation of the cables, followed by the extraction of the metal component. After separation, the two components are reused in other plants – the smelted metal is used for manufacturing new metal components or made into new cable cores and the plastic is also reused for a variety of purposes.
The recycling process is very similar for other electrical items and accessories, such as chargers and other small electronics, the benefits of the process being the same in all cases: reduced production costs for the manufacturing of new cables and devices and reduced environmental impact.