Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CE-RISE (Circular Economy Resource Information System)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
The CE-RISE project addresses the pressing need to manage critical raw materials (CRMs) in the electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) sector. This sector is crucial for the EU’s Green Deal objectives, which aim to create a fair, zero-emission, and digitalized Europe. With growing demand and limited supply of CRMs, there is an urgent need to enhance the reuse, recovery, and recycling of materials. CE-RISE offers an integrated framework and a resource information system (IS) to identify optimal solutions for the effective reuse, recovery, and/or recycling of materials by (a) defining a set of criteria (RE criteria) to evaluate the extent to which products and embedded components can be reused, repaired, refurbished and/or recycled; (b) incorporating information on RE criteria and material composition of products into the Digital product passport (DPP) to enable traceability of materials in the supply chain; (c) integrating DPP with information on the environmental footprint of products (PEF), socio-economic and environmental (SEE) impacts of RE processes; (d) enabling confidential and anonymized information sharing among actors throughout value chains; (e) providing open-access software application to disseminate information on the assessment of RE criteria, PEF and SEE impacts of products to all stakeholders including consumers and policymakers. The results will be piloted on five case studies. CE-RISE will contribute to bridging the digital divide in society by supporting the production of affordable second-hand ICT devices and supporting access to digital education and job opportunities. Ultimately, CE-RISE will foster a dynamic ecosystem geared toward prolonging the use of materials in the economy and stimulating circular business models to reduce waste generation and optimize the reuse of SRMs, empowering communities for a sustainable future.
In the first 18 months, the CE-RISE consortium has focused on several key tasks, including scoping the current use of DPPs, conceptualizing the IS framework, and preparing data integration for environmental impact assessment. A blueprint for the technical implementation of the CE-RISE IS has been developed, and plans for testing through case studies have been initiated. Surveys and consultations with industry stakeholders, other research projects, and consumers have provided valuable recommendations to guide the project’s development. A comprehensive review of existing reuse and recycling criteria across 375 legislative, standard, and certification documents has been compiled, informing the project’s technical methodologies. Significant progress has been made in integrating relevant life cycle inventory datasets and developing detailed supply-use tables through disaggregation of global data. Methodologies for calculating environmental impacts using hybrid life cycle assessments have been mapped out and tested with available data, with further work planned to apply these methods to primary industry data. The IS conceptual framework has been completed (attached figure), with data to be imported from DPP providers and external databases for processing. The system will provide users with information on product suitability for reuse and recycling strategies, as well as associated socio-economic and environmental impacts. The design of the software architecture has been completed, laying the groundwork for the development of digital services. The first iteration of the DPP structure across industry partners has begun, enabling initial testing phases. Five case studies have been planned to shape the IS development, ensuring it meets the needs of diverse user groups.
At this stage, most of the project’s outputs are intermediate results that lay the foundation for final deliverables. However, several outputs are already advancing the project and have potential for external reuse. These include a mapping of relevant standards, legislation, and labels for product assessment, and a common framework for vocabulary related to reuse strategies and socio-economic and environmental impacts. CE-RISE is on track to deliver a range of outputs, including methodologies for criteria development and assessment, data exchange schemas, business models for software applications, pre-standards and standards for certification, best practice guides, training materials, datasets for environmental and material-related calculations, and software modules. These contributions aim to enhance circular economy strategies, ensuring interoperability, security, and effective data use. Key exploitable results, such as reuse criteria, data structures for DPPs, and certification frameworks, are in development. However, these will require further support beyond the project to achieve their full impact. Continued development, integration into digital tools, and educational and regulatory support will be crucial for these results to reach their intended impact.