The Challenge

The rapid growth of consumer electronics has turned the industry into a significant source of global waste, with waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) rising sharply.

Current data indicates that only around 44% of electronics entering the EU market are collected for recycling (EEA, 2025), leaving the remainder discarded in landfills or incinerators. In 2020, WEEE contributed an estimated 580 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally (Singh and Ogunseitan, 2022), equivalent to the emissions from over 153 coal power plants annually (US EPA, 2024). Despite containing valuable resources such as gold, silver, copper, and platinum - worth approximately USD $65 billion (Murthy & Ramakrishna, 2022) - much of this material remains unrecovered due to inefficient dismantling processes and hazardous substance risks.

The Circular Opportunity

Irish company, Votechnik, and CIRCULÉIRE member, has developed innovative robotic technologies - most notably the ALR4000 - to transform LCD recycling and resource recovery. LCDs, found in laptops, TVs, and tablets, contain hazardous components such as mercury-containing lamps, which pose health and environmental risks if mishandled. The ALR4000 machine automates the safe depollution process by removing hazardous substances and sharp-edged components like fluorescent tubes and screens, significantly increasing throughput—processing between 60 and 80 devices per hour compared to 5 manually (Votechnik, 2023).

This plug-and-play system employs the KUKA KR QUANTEC industrial robot (KUKA, 2024), which eliminates the need for direct human contact with toxic substances. Its modular, energy-efficient design reduces operational costs and minimises maintenance, facilitating compliance with stringent legislation such as the EU’s WEEE Directive and EN50625 standards. By depolluting and segregating hazardous materials, the ALR4000 allows for the extraction of valuable metals and recyclable plastics, supporting reuse, recovery, and remanufacturing.

Climate Impact

The high efficiency of the ALR4000 system, combined with the use of robotic automation, makes LCD recycling not only safer but more cost-effective - generating significant revenues in recovered materials monthly (Votechnik, 2023). It reduces dependence on virgin materials, lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with raw material extraction, processing, and product manufacturing. The robot’s recyclability- up to 90%- further supports circular practices and sustains the environmental benefits (KUKA, 2024). Additionally, the machine prevents hazardous waste from entering landfills or being incinerated, thus mitigating pollution, protecting ecosystems, and contributing to climate targets.

Replicability

The global electronics market was valued at USD $1,275 billion in 2023, expanding at a CAGR of roughly 7.5%, underscoring the industry’s scale and potential for circular integration (Lopez, Soltani & Ringmar, 2023). Transitioning to a circular model - such as robotic depollution and resource recovery - addresses critical environmental challenges while unlocking new revenue streams for WEEE recovery and remanufacturing.

The core innovation demonstrated by Votechnik is the use of robotic automation to safely and economically recycle complex products, turning a hazardous waste stream into a valuable resource. This principle of ‘automated recycling for value recovery’ is not limited to electronics and holds immense potential across other key Irish and European manufacturing sectors. By decoupling dangerous, repetitive, or intricate tasks from manual labour, businesses can overcome economic barriers to circularity and create new revenue from materials previously deemed too costly or risky to recover.

This approach is gaining momentum across Europe, highlighting a clear pathway for replication and investment. The challenges of product recycling are a shared European problem, and leaders in automation are proving the viability of this model in adjacent industries:

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Batteries: The rapid growth of e-mobility presents a significant end-of-life challenge. Companies like the Italian automation specialist Comau are leading EU-funded projects (such as FLEX-BD and REINFORCE) to develop flexible, robotic systems that can safely disassemble different types of EV battery packs. By automating the high-risk stages, they enable the efficient recovery of critical materials like lithium and cobalt, creating the foundation for a secure European battery supply chain.

  
  

• Wind Turbines: As early-generation wind farms are decommissioned, the challenge is to sustainably manage the large, complex structures. UK-based BladeBUG has developed a six-legged, remote-operated robot that can walk on turbine blades to perform detailed inspection and maintenance. By providing a safe and cost-effective alternative to human rope access teams, this technology not only extends the operational life of turbines but also pioneers the kind of advanced robotics needed for their eventual safe and efficient decommissioning. 

  
  

• Industrial Automation & Remanufacturing: The principle is also being advanced at a systemic level. The University of Birmingham is a key research hub for robotic disassembly, focusing on how automation can make remanufacturing more cost-effective for a wider range of industrial products. Their work on robotic disassembly cells and optimisation provides a blueprint for companies looking to recover and remanufacture valuable industrial components with minimal human intervention.

For Ireland, Votechnik’s success serves as a powerful proof point. It demonstrates that targeted investment in automation can unlock high-value secondary materials, enhance worker safety, and position Irish innovators at the forefront of the European circular economy. The deployment of the ALR4000 in Ireland has transformed the country’s LCD waste stream. Before its installation, LCDs were being exported for disposal at a negative cost. Today, the technology processes around 80% of Ireland’s LCDs domestically, dramatically reducing the environmental footprint and keeping valuable materials in circulation (WEEE Ireland, 2025).

In addition, Votechnik is building on the expertise gained from the ALR4000 by applying it to the new SUP2000 plant, which focuses on the recovery of valuable and critical raw materials from renewable-energy products — including photovoltaics, the indium contained in glass panels, and battery black mass. Through this next-generation technology, Votechnik continues to innovate, add value, and expand its impact in the circular economy.