Objectives of the commitment
The proposal aims to contribute to addressing key EU strategic challenges, namely access to raw materials, resource efficiency, sound environmental management of waste and end-of-life products. More specifically, the proposed project will aim to:
- ensure that WEEE and fractions thereof and spent batteries arising in the EU are recycled against quality standards where ever they are treated (in or outside teh EU).
- provide a mechanism to facilitate controls of shipped waste (certification) and by doing so fight against illegal shipments of WEEE and batteries in WEEE.
Description of the activities
The project is part of the WEEE 2020 programme aiming to drive resource efficient, green growth in Europe. The proposal consists in defining the conditions for a certification scheme for recycling (pre- and end-processing) of WEEE and spent batteries based on standards defining the quality process (environmental, health, efficiency criteria). The mechanism will facilitate/support targeted controls at borders and by doing so will facilitate the fight against illegal shipments of waste; it will provide the benchmark against which stakeholders will be able to select âquality recyclersâ and will facilitate audits and reduce their costs by providing a single system to check compliance with the defined standard. WEEE and spent batteries contain critical and valuable metals which are essential to moving towards a low-carbon and resource efficient economy. The potential to improve recycling of these end-of-life products is significant. The recovery of metals from batteries and fractions of WEEE require a complex technological process so as to ensure proper treatment of hazardous materials and optimal recovery of critical and valuable metals.
Deliverables:
⢠Baseline report (setting scene)
⢠Assessment of WEEE standards (e.g. Cenelec) & development of standards for batteries
⢠Auditing guide and qualification criteria for auditors
⢠Pool of trained auditors (min. 10)
⢠Assessment of WTO compliance and link with legislation
⢠Impact assessment on resource efficiency, environment, administrative & financial procedures.
⢠Recommendation for development of a mandatory certification scheme (Action Plan).
Description of the expected impacts
Mandatory certification would
- Level the playing field and hence support the competitiveness of quality recyclers
- Provide more security of supply of secondary RM hence encouraging investments (impact on jobs )
- Facilitate controls at borders & limit illegal exports
- Secure access to material for downstream industries
- Provide certainty that EoL products are properly recycled
- Proper collection of batteries embedded in WEEE
- Support implementation of regulatory requirements
Coordinating organisation & role
Name of the coordinating organisation: EUROMETAUXCountry: BelgiumEntity profile: OtherRole within the commitment:
Industry Adviser through engagement of membership in WEEE2020. Eurometaux will coordinate the project WEEE + BATT Excellence (delivery partner). It aims to define the conditions and develop a certification scheme for recycling (pre & end-processing) of WEEE and spent batteries based on standards defining quality process (environmental, health, efficiency criteria).
Other partners
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.
Name of the organisation: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V. Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Fraunhofer will lead the CFRP and GFRP recycling research.
Fraunhofer will perform corrosion tests on the developed materials.
Fraunhofer will work with CIDAUT on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project. Fraunhofer is the Quality Manager of the Consortium and will oversee deliverables and general reporting are produced with the best possible quality following agreed review standards.
Fundacion Cidaut
Name of the organisation: Fundacion Cidaut Country: Spain Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: CIDAUT will lead the research activities on materials recycling and compounding, implementing lab scale demonstrators of each process at its premises and, later, supporting end-users upscale the processes.
CIDAUT will perform mechanical tests, microstructural analyses, injection moulding capability studies on the developed materails, and will work with Fraunhofer on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project.
RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV)
Name of the organisation: RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV) Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: RWTH will implement the novel 3D Generative Preforming process (3D Fibre Spraying) that enables to create high-value long fibre-reinforced 3D preforms for thermoplastic and thermoset composites at low process costs (different kinds of yarn as a raw material, low tooling costs due to low cavity pressures). This cost effective technology allows to align the sprayed fibres in order to produce high-performance, engineered anisotropic products.
Universita' di Cagliari
Name of the organisation: Universita' di Cagliari Country: Italy Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: University of Cagliari is one of the leading European organization in the resin design and coupling with thermoplastic and thermose materials. University of Cagliari will support in the definition of the composite materials, both from CFRP/GFRP, ABS and Rare Earth composite material.
Relight
Name of the organisation: Relight Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: RELIGHT will work with ITRB to provide the research partners with residues for the recycled ABS supply and the REE recovery processes, including their HydroWEEE process as part of the processes to be studied and analyzed.
Piaggio Aerospace
Name of the organisation: Piaggio Aerospace Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - large company
Role within the commitment: Piaggio Aerospace is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Piaggio will assist in the compounds selection, provide Fraunhofer with specific corrosion requirements on business jet size aircraft, and will assess that the developed materials performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.
Blackshape Aircrafts
Name of the organisation: Blackshape Aircrafts Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: Blackshape Aircrafts is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Blackshape will support to fulfill the requirements of the aeronautics industry on ultra light jet, light jet and trainer for Syllabus, and will assess that the developed alloys performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.
KU Leuven
Name of the organisation: KU Leuven Country: Belgium Entity profile: Academia
Role within the commitment: KUL will collaborate on the balance problem studies and will lead the rare earth recovery research with the solvometallurgical and ionometallurgical processes.
KUL will also contribute to the final compounding selection.
KUL is the Dissemination Manager of the project, promoting that all partners are active on the project Dissemination.
FIDAMC
Name of the organisation: FIDAMC Country: Spain Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: FIDAMC is going to lead the Work Package on Compression Moulding with CFRP-enhanced materials. As part of the AIRBUS Group, FIDAMC will also be able to provide the input material.
FIDAMC successfully developed a 3D Printer of own design to serve the Aerospace Industry and will be supporting Smart Lab 3D Industries in its 3D printer design.
COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER
Name of the organisation: COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER Country: Canada Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Composite Innovation Center is one of the world leading organization in the field of Composite materials, both from carbon fiber and vegetal-based fibers.
Composite Innovation center has successfully implemented, at lab-scale, recycling processes for CFRP and GFRP.
Existing EU Contribution: No
Period to implement the commitment: from 01-01-2015 to 30-09-2017