How to dispose of optical discs

A key area of activity in ensuring the legitimacy of packaged media available in the marketplace is the disposal of a product that has been confiscated or is otherwise no longer marketable. We talk to NICO OSSE of ReSolve, a Dutch-based organisation and a leader in this field.

What is the difference between recycling and destruction? When you destroy batches of discs do you extract some raw material which can be re-used for other purposes?

One can destroy a product, grinding it complete with its case and paper, or shred complete pallets, or drive over it with a tarmac leveller and so on. Then it is destroyed, and in presence with an auditor one can give it an official stamp. But all materials are mixed and recycling can only be done (if possible at all) at the lowest material value (i.e. contaminated plastic).

Unpacking, separating and sorting all components based on the different materials, is a preparational step towards recycling, but since the disc must be destroyed we have built equipment to process the disc – reading it and then making it unreadable. The sorting allows to process the various materials each at its own value.

We sort Polystyrene (CD cases), polypropylene (DVD cases) and polycarbonate (CD and DVD). This ground plastic semi finished raw-material is re-used for either CD or DVD cases, or the car industry, or laptop casings, mobile phones etc.

We don’t throw material away. Our method actually reclaims over 45% of the energy burden used in the total life cycle of a CD – from virgin raw material, through to pressing, including packaging , paperwork and retail distribution.

What type of products need to be destroyed?

CD/DVD/VHS/miniDiscs, Vinyl records, CDR and DVDR, Musiccassettes etc., Marketing waste as well as production waste. Unsold overstocks, deletions or retail returns of illegal products either due to unpaid rights or licensing fees, or as part of a bankrupcy and so on. But also outdated catalogues, manuals, medical data etc. Basically, all that is on disc or other media carrier.

We do these products originate?

Studios, record companies, distributors, publishers etc. ie either the content owner who wants the product not to end up at discount sales, or the product owner who cannot sell it anymore and wants it destroyed and recycled. Or illegally produced products that are seized by the police and or the law enforcement division of the copyright organisation, or IFPI, etc.

What relationship do you maintain with law enforcement agencies, anti-piracy agencies, and DVD publishers?

We have very close relations with copyright organisations and Customs, as well as Philips licensing and IFPI. We destroy and recycle counterfeit product for them.
We completely disassemble the products and separate it into its various materials, (polystyreen, paper, cardboard, polycarbonate etc) prior to recycling all these mateirals and preparing it for re-use.

What kind of control is exercised over the destruction?

A physical on-site control as well as a full administrative control, per processed batch on an itemised basis (unit as well as release number) through to weight after grinding. The control is handled by our own external auditors from Deloitte & Touche, but also by our clients’ auditors, or customs, and or the copyright organisation.

Does your facility require a certification of some kind?

Yes, and the process is patented, too.

What safety procedures are in place to prevent a rogue employee, for example, from reselling seized material?

The facility is secured, goods are stored in another secured area, goods are processed in another secured area, staff can enter only through a secured entrance and are randomly checked (bags, etc). Our staff has been with us for many years and we hardly ever use any temporary staff. Where they are used, they are all checked daily on leaving and entering the building. If we find a case of theft we hand it to the police.

By what means do you destroy DVDs?

First, all goods are unpacked. The discs themselves are counted and verified – you understand that the reclamation of mechanical re-production rights works only for the actual disc not the packed product.

After that the discs are processed in such a way that the content cannot be read anymore and the maximum of the PC material can be reclaimed.

Do you know how many such facilities are there in Europe?

Dont know exactly. I think only one or two (unpacking finished products) that focus fully on media recycling as ReSolve does. We do not process other plastics, for instance. Of course, there are many other companies processing production waste, although even production waste contains content.

One thing has always puzzled me. Unsold goods are subject to a lot of security measures, whereas for brand new product (sometimes only a wrong colour has been printed) can be processed and ground by anyone who pays a few cents more per kilo.

How much the destruction process cost?

It depends on the product (DVD, or music cassette) and the volume as well as the reclaim value of the materials. Destruction does incur cost but enables our partners (depending on their copyright contracts) to outsource this activity and reclaim paid rights if applicable.

Is destroyed material recycled and, if yes, to do what?

Yes 100% – and all of it, paper, cardboard, plastic etc. The PS and PP we use ourselves to produce media packaging products from (CD and DVD cases) the PC (discs) is cleaned and finds it way to specialist molding or plastic engineering firms around the world.

Any statistics about titles and quantities destroyed?

We do not have details on clients, titles etc., but I can say that it varies from valuable, numbered and limited edition collector items to the latest computer games, top 100 hits through to promotional products and tele sales type of recordings.

Unpacking marketing waste as we call it (overstocks and deletions and shop returns) reaches several million units per year. Processing production waste from audio, games and movies is several 100 million units per year.

We have been active in this field since 1996 , and have developed broad experience and knowledge of the market and its procedures....

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