Electronic waste, the A2A plant in Bollate prison is expanded

On 21 October the A2A Group inaugurated a new robotic line at the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment plant managed by Amsa inside the Bollate Second Prison. The facility, operational since 2018 and built within a peculiar context at a European level for mitigated custody and the active participation of inmates in the activities offered, represents a virtuous model of circular economy and social-work inclusion. In fact, it not only allows the valorisation of critical raw materials contained in the WEEE, such as rare earths and precious metals crucial for the ecological transition, but also offers a concrete vocational training path.

The new line inaugurated by A2A, developed in collaboration with Hiro Robotics, exploits artificial intelligence and collaborative robotics. Unique in its kind, it significantly reduces the processing time to 3.5 minutes per monitor compared to the current 10 and increases productivity by 100 per cent, improving the accuracy of material separation and making the entire handling cycle more efficient. The 'LaboRaee' project currently employs 5 employees and, thanks to this new advanced automation technology, will involve an increasing number of inmates and contribute, through qualified upskilling, to the professional growth of the people employed.

In Lombardy, about 5,750 tonnes of electronic waste category R3, TVs and monitors, are collected every year: with the robotised system, the facility - authorised for 1,000 tonnes per year - could process up to 17% of what is collected in the whole region.

"With the inauguration of the new robotic line at the Bollate plant, Amsa is promoting a circular economy model that encompasses both environmental sustainability and social inclusion. - commented Marcello Milani, CEO of Amsa - WEEE is a real urban mine, and with the technology presented today we will increase the treatment capacity by enhancing the value of precious resources such as aluminium, copper and rare metals. At the same time, we are helping to facilitate the reintegration into the labour market of the people employed through the acquisition of new professional skills that are valid and in demand".

'Today marks a new step along the path of technological innovation, growth of professional skills, but above all growth of the person who always remains at the centre of everything, protecting his dignity and integrity. - commented Giorgio Leggieri, director of the Bollate Prison - Only with structured cooperation between institutions and the business system is it possible to give utility to the sentence. Both for the detained person as an opportunity for change and for the community as reparation for the damage suffered'.