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Recycling of Household Appliances with Emphasis on Reuse Options

Objective



The solution of the waste problem within the EC countries and increasingly in the Central and Eastern European Countries over a long period can only be one of avoiding waste on a large scale. This research project aims at investigating into the reuse of components and modules within repaired, reconditioned household machines under the aspect of avoidance and showing opportunities for ecologic/economic solutions. In the case that the repair of products is technically or economically not feasible it is especially important to preserve the used sub-components and materials by appropriate recycling techniques so that they can be used as source material for new components. The scope of this research project therefore requires consideration of the entire life cycle of the products from manufacture over use of products and their deposition, even considering future changes of product.
For selected products the project aims to show and demonstrate the following topics:

validification of recycling logistics (collection, registration, redistribution)
the reconditionability of products, physical dismantling by examples and demonstrations
appropriate dismantling and recycling strategies (dismantling and recycling planning, reuse options, disposal reduction)
repair/reconditioning, quality control
valuation of necessary innovations within the considered framework
assessment of market opportunities and limitations

In this context model demonstration becomes an important aspect to guarantee transferability to other products not considered herein.

In Central European countries the production culture and environmentally conscious behaviour was lagging behind the level of Western European countries in the past decades. A recycling system for mass produced products in the machine industry for electrical electromechanic and household appliances has not been worked out in the necessary detail yet. Therefore the production and recycling technologies do not satisfy the requirements of the European Union which will have to be observed even now, if CCE/NIS countries want to have their share in an expansion of their markets to EC countries or aim to be a respected partner in future industrial cooperations, including industrial competitiveness.

The projects goal is to establish an overall system allowing to economically reuse and/or recycle a considerable part of used household machines from the CCE/NIS countries. Thus guaranteeing ecological recycling at a high level and considerably minimizing environmental impacts caused by an increasing volume to landfill with the present recycling situation. These process innovations become increasingly important for the countries in Central and Eastern Europe and serve for technology transfer between West and East.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

Österreichisches Forschungszentrum Seibersdorf GmbH
EU contribution
No data
Address

2444 Seibersdorf
Austria

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Total cost
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Participants (6)