As part of its global environmental policy, Seco Tools has established a new recycling initiative where it offers customers the option of selling their used cemented carbide back to Seco. With Seco taking the lead on purchasing, collecting and dealing with the used carbide, it becomes easier for their customers to be part of a recycling effort. By 2014, Seco will recycle 50% of the carbide inserts it sells.
Tungsten, which comprises 75% of cemented carbide content, is a finite resource that can be recycled an infinite number of times, reducing Seco’s reliance upon mined tungsten ore. Since 1993, world demand has been higher than ore production, and that demand has exploded since 2004. It is estimated that, depending upon demand, the world tungsten reserve could be depleted within our lifetimes. Today, China produces 80% of the global tungsten ore and has 70% of the geological reserve. Current figures show that only 30% is recycled in the world at present.
According to Seco, when an operator replaces a carbide insert, typically less than 5% of the tool is actually worn away, leaving 95% of the carbide intact and capable of being recycled. Environmental gains made from using recycled products instead of virgin material include about 35% less energy usage and a 40% reduction in carbon emissions.
“This is just one of the ways that we are trying to illustrate environmental responsibility,” said Dr. Vic Bruni, Seco’s Manager of Quality. “We are also developing eco-friendly products such as milling cutters that perform with lower power consumption or products that don’t require coolant.”