Environmental Aspects
14.3 Recycling
The operator panels consist largely of aluminum. It is a great advantage in terms of
both resources and the environment if it can be recycled. Make sure that operator
panels taken out of service are sent to facilities for electronic scrap.
The manufacturer’s electronic waste is recycled by Stena Technoworld AB.
Aluminum front/rear casings and other covers can be removed and recycled.
Plastic display frames and CF covers must be recycled as hard plastic. The circuit
board contains many valuable metals and should therefore be recycled.
Remove the lithium battery. Electrolytic capacitors and displays are currently not
classified as hazardous waste, but may be harmful to health and the environment.
The electrolytic capacitors should be handled as per Handbook 2001:7 (NFS)
and displays as per NFS 2001:8.
The fluorescent tube must be handled as hazardous waste.
The packaging is made from wood fiber and should be recycled. The large printed
label on the front, however, must first be removed as it is made of PVC vinyl. The
label and the plastic bag for the brackets are recycled as soft plastic.
The manufacturer is a member of the REPA register. The protective film on the
front is recycled as soft plastic. When the operator panel is no longer useful it
can be returned to the manufacturer for environmentally responsible recycling.
Contact the company for further information.
14.4 Environmental Impact Report
An operator panel impacts the environment through its function, i.e., controlling
industrial equipment. The energy and the scrapped parts that can be saved with
efficient management mean that the operator panel contributes to reduced
environmental impact.
Listed below are examples of how you can reduce environmental impact during
operator panel use.
•
Switch the system off when not in use.
•
Use green electricity.
•
Use energy-saving options, e.g., turn off the backlight to both save energy and
reduce wear on the fluorescent tube.
•
If possible, reduce the backlight brightness to reduce energy consumption
and increase fluorescent tube service life.
Supply the operator panel with 24 V DC. If the input voltage is lower, the loss
effect increases. Ensure that the operator panel, battery, and packaging are
recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.
Beijer Electronics, MAEN003
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