‘Coronavirus has boosted e-scrap volumes on Sardinia’

Most refrigerators and washing machines on the Italian island of Sardinia ultimately end up in the shredder at West Recycling. From a bone-dry industrial zone outside Cagliari, Federica Foterni leads a solid e-scrap business under challenging conditions.

Sardinia may be a remote recycling outpost but that does not mean the state of recycling on this Mediterranean island is underdeveloped, as proved by Foterni. Her company has been busy investing in modern sorting technology. ‘We have serious plans to introduce robotic arms at the washing machine dismantling line,’ she tells Recycling International on the shaded terrace in the front of the company office.

West Recycling was founded in 2002 by Federica’s father, Rafaelo Foterni. After he passed away some years ago, Federica took over. With her mother Chiara, she heads the 16 000 tonnes per year recycling business. West Recycling is located on a large area of land in part occupied by three halls for storage and recycling. Outside in the open air is another stockpile for discarded washing machines and end-of-life vehicles waiting to be dismantled and shredded.

Want to read the full story about West Recycling and Federica Foterni? Check the Italy country report in the September/October issue of Recycling International.

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