Fisher & Paykel

Fisher & Paykel offers a take-back programme for unwanted whiteware appliances and packaging on any new appliances in the North and South Islands.

The scheme has not only solved potential landfill problems, it has provided the appliance company with a strong marketing point-of-difference with its competitors.

• 1993 Gary Paykel decided to take a pro-active stance on appliance recycling
• 1994 the company completed its move away from using CFCs in fridges

Recovery figures

• Annually recycle materials from 25,000 appliances which would otherwise occupy 20,000 m³ of landfill (leading to the contamination of leachates from lead, copper and iron, as well as additional emissions of CFCs to the atmosphere)
• During 2000, recovered approx. 1,600 tonnes of separated materials including aluminium, stainless steel, copper, steel, plastics, packaging, electric cable and compressors. Plus approx. 800 tonnes of composite materials - mainly scrap metals and plastics - are recovered in a programme of recycling using contractors. Recovered and separated materials are sold to various merchants for reprocessing and recycling.
• Recovered packaging (some 75,000 pieces per year) is reused directly by the
  company - up to four times - for packaging new products
• The 322 tonnes of plastic componentry and packaging recycled last year would have cost the company $60,000 to dump in a landfill. Carefully separated in strategically placed bins, those plastics actually returned the company $160,000.
  
  

Collection & recycling systems

• Appliances from the Auckland region are trucked to the East Tamaki recycling centre for breakdown and separation of all componentry.
• Appliances from out of Auckland are consolidated in regional depots at Napier, Feilding, Wellington and New Plymouth where they are crushed (like car bodies) for transport to Sims Pacific Metals in Otahuhu. There they go through a sophisticated metal recycler which automatically extracts iron, steel, copper and aluminium in a single operation. Products from Northland, Waikato and Coromandel - Bay of Plenty are trucked there daily.
• CFC gas is safely extracted from fridges and shipped to Melbourne for destruction. However, only two in 10 dead fridges actually retain any gas, so the amount 'saved' for destruction is minuscule (Fisher & Paykel has not used CFCs since 1994, but some imported brands, mainly from Asia, still do).
  
  
  Fisher & Paykel has begun an appliance recycling test programme in Australia.
  
  For further information on Fisher and Paykel's Recycling Programme, contact George Gray on 09 273 6877 or george.gray@fp.co.nz