Objectives of the commitment
a) Promotion of new business models for resource efficiency and the development of the circular economy.
One of the reasons the ACR+ EPR Club was created is because there is a common belief that EPR is a useful tool for different objectives:
1. To make producers aware of the problem of managing their products at the end-of-life stage, and therefore promote eco-innovation.
2. To ensure the cost coverage of the fees arising from selective collection and implementation of proper infrastructures to optimize the correct waste management and specially recycling of materials.
However, an EPR scheme can adopt several forms and its performances are not easy to optimize. There is a need for new inputs and ideas built on international examples, and for cost-benefits analyses including the point of view of all the stakeholders along the ââresource-product-wasteâ chain.
Thus, the main objectives of the ACR+ EPR Club (Better knowledge of the different EPR Schemes; Clarification of best practices from an environmental and socio-economic point of view; Understanding of various implementation aspects of this instrument (scope, fees level, fair competition, role of each stakeholderâ¦)) should improve the current European Innovation Partnership and contribute to a ânew business model for raw materialsâ.
b) Improvement of selective waste collection and of eco-efficiency of EPR schemes
As written in the Strategic Implementation Plan (NON-TECHNOLOGY PILLAR, II B, Action Area II.5), some activities of the ACR+ EPR platform in the next six years âcould involve mapping and assessing existing waste collection systems in Member States, including the economic advantages of different approaches and barriers for implementation (e.g. in relation to moving from co-mingled systems to separate collection for paper, metal, glass and plastic waste) and sharing good practices.â
The ACR+ EPR platform could also develop several activities to help the formulation of good practices concerning the financial and economic aspects of EPR schemes: integration of the polluter pays principle, and of the transparency and fair competition principles.
Description of the activities
1 - Working groups on Material Recovery from separate or co-mingled collection
Some ACR+ EPR Club Members propose organising working groups, working as follows:
- 2014-15: list of the different collection methods and their performances at local-regional level within the different EU Member States.
- 2016-17: assessment of the parameters attached to the different performances and study of the barriers on eco-innovation; clarification of the best practices and technologies concerning collecting-recycling.
- 2018-19: awareness-raising campaigns on best practices in organization and best technologies in waste collection with the objective of maximum take-back of raw materials.
2 - Observatory of EPR Systems evolution
EPR schemes are not static: they evolve within the different Member States regarding several aspects: field of implementation, authorization, financial control, eco-feesâ¦
Hence it would be very useful to create a European Observatory in order to perform a proper follow-up of the evolution of EPR schemes, both from the environmental and economic point of view. The multi-stakeholder platform that the ACR+ EPR Club offers is indeed a perfect base to develop this project integrating the concerns of the European Strategic Plan for Innovation.
As a first step, this Observatory could be inspired by the French model of information on EPR managed by ADEME (Lâécho des filières).
3 â Website
The ACR+ EPR Club will continue with its regular âvirtual platformâ activity.
The EPR Clubâs website contains background documents, position papers of the different stakeholders, studies, etc. In the upcoming years, this website will be kept updated on a regular basis. It will serve as a platform to share all the relevant information concerning EPR: news, articles, position papers, eventsâ¦
The Virtual Library will be fed on a regular basis and progressively better structured.
4- Lunch debates
During 2013, different lunch debates and seminars have been co-organized with the support of some private active members, in order to bring together relevant stakeholders to discuss key EPR topics. These seminars that took place in 2013 were about different EPR schemes all over Europe, and relevant keynote speakers were invited.
For the coming year, these lunch debates will happen as well, under the common title âEPR role in achieving circular economyâ. Several topics will be discussed under this title. The topics to be discussed will be suggested by our members according to their needs and interests.
5- Annual International Conference
As undertaken in September 2013, an annual ACR+ EPR Club international conference will take place on a yearly basis, in collaboration with committed members.
Description of the expected impacts
1. Increased knowledge base on (secondary) raw materials
The ACR+ EPR Club wants to play a role in the important issue of data collection. There is a need to clarify and harmonize the way data (recycling percentage, amount of waste collected by waste stream, clear separation of waste streams, etc) is collected and displayed in order to get reliable figures. This is vital as only reliable data will help when making comparisons between performances and Member States, and thus contribute to develop best practices based on transparency.
2.-Best practices in material waste collection for recycling
As mentioned by the Strategic Implementation Plan for the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials, the methods of selective waste collection or different waste streams recovery need to be prioritized and assessed in order to contribute to the development of best practices. In order to do so, the ACR+ EPR Club brings together both public and private entities responsible for the organization of waste collection schemes, including financial eco-organisms to clarify the cost-benefit of different scenarios.
3.-Policy dialogues on legal and economic framework for circular economy
The ACR+ EPR Club aims to be a platform promoting dialogue between different stakeholders related to EPR issues. It is intended to create a forum with the objective of following the latest developments on EPR-related policies at EU and international level, as well as being updated about the guidelines that might arise from the European Commission in order to achieve an optimal use of the EPR Schemes.
Coordinating organisation & role
Name of the coordinating organisation: ACR+ Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource managementCountry: BelgiumEntity profile: OtherRole within the commitment:
ACR+ started the iniciative of the EPR Club due to the increasing necessity of the creation of a platform for dialogue and exchange of expersite in Extended Producers Responsibility topics. Since the Club was launched, several activities, events, working groups, online forums, etcetera have been carried out with ACR+ playing a leading role.
Within the commitment, ACR+ aims to keep working in the same path with the help of the EPR Club members, being the entity in charge of coordination of all the foreseen activities.
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 01-02-2014 to 31-12-2020