Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Eco-Efficiency of Take-Back and Recycling A comprehensive and quantitative approach Jaco Huisman, Ab Stevels

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Outline 1.Methodology –QWERTY: Recyclability from an environmental perspective? –EE: Eco-Efficiency: Relation environment and economics? 2.Requirements 3.Examples 4.Eco-efficiency directions 5.Conclusions

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Why QWERTY? (Quotes for environmentally Weighted RecyclabiliTY) General Idea: Replace ‘weight’ by ‘environmental weight’: Environmental value of disposed products Optimal recycling routes Priorities of different materials How effective are proposed recycling targets and treatment rules? Environmental description of the end-of-life chain

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program QWERTY: Basic Idea

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Why Eco-Efficiency of End-of-Life? Authorities/ Legislators Meaningful criteria Policy per product category Monitor performance Designer Evaluate (re)design NGO’s/ Customer organizations Green demands and corresponding price tags Producers Calculate End-of-Life costs Audit recyclers Consumers Environmental value for money Recyclers Calculate tariffs Technology improvement Economic description of the end-of-life chain

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program How to Quantify Eco-Efficiency?

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Requirements Data (Dutch take-back system): 1.Product compositions 2.Disassembly/ shredding and separation 3.LCA methods and standard databases 4.Collection rates, transport distances, costs 5.Recovery processes: metal smelters etc. 6.Final waste processing: emissions and penalties

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Examples 1.‘Weight’ (MRE) versus ‘Environmental Weight’ (QWERTY) 2.Contribution of processes 3.Plastic recycling or separate treatment of cellular phones 4.Design strategies 5.Plastic recycling versus size of housings

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Contribution of materials (cellular phone) WEIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL WEIGHT QWERTY composition Weight composition

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Contribution of processes (cellular phone)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Plastic recycling and separate treatment (cellular phone)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Design Strategies (DVD player)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Plastic recycling versus size of housings

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Eco-efficiency directions

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Eco-efficiency directions: ENCOURAGE Direction: 1.Increase collection rates precious dominated products 2.Separate collection system for precious dominated products 3.Plastic recycling large sized housings, already disassembled

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Eco-efficiency directions: AVOID Direction: 1.Incineration without energy recovery 2.Residue fractions with low plastic content send to the cement industry

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Eco-efficiency directions: BALANCE High priority Low priority

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Conclusions (Policy Strategies) Problem: End-of-life treatment has to do with material compositions and not with categories Solution: Review (current EU) policy strategies 1.Drastically review recycling targets 2.Apply differentiated collection rates 3.Apply certain outlet rules 4.Discard most of the current treatment rules and apply certain new ones

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Further applications 1.Audit and improve recycler performance 2.Monitoring take-back systems as a whole 3.Evaluate design strategies and life-cycle perspective 4.Award good ecodesign of individual products in a collective system 5.Broader regional and product scope

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program More information about this presentation or the Ph.D. thesis:

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Extra Slides

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Contribution of materials (DVD player) Weight composition Environmental weight composition

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Environmental contribution of processes

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Example: Environmental impacts/ stage

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Example: DVD player, Integral Costs Excluding consumer to retailer/ municipality costs (to EUR 1,66)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program DVD player: Eco-efficiency direction ENCOURAGE

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Evaluation of Redesign DVD player

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Soundmachine: Plastic Recycling? (EI’99) BEST CASE! (under economies of scale realized)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Soundmachine: Material Selection

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Glass recycling 17”Monitor? (15 kg, glass: 9,5 kg; increase glass recycling 15% to 70%)

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Prediction eco-efficiency different products

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Changing Logistics: ‘Pick-up on demand’

Delft University of Technology Industrial Design Engineering Design for Sustainability Program Conclusions (Methodology) 1.An end-of-life chain approach and evaluation is the first requirement 2.It is possible to monitor eco-efficiency of take-back systems and single products quantitatively 3.It is possible to quantify the contribution of different actors and stakeholders 4.It is possible to set priorities regarding materials and end-of-life options (where to invest first?) 5.It is possible to quantify how much “environmental improvement” for “money invested” is realized