Case study: multi life cycle center [waste electric and electronic equipment recycling]

This case study shows the implementation of a highly innovative re-use and recycling system for waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE). This so called multi life cycle center makes use of the latest developments in automation and information technology in order to obtain an efficient economical and ecological process. In this center, implemented as a pilot plant in Vienna, Austria, WEEE will be transformed back into valuable products. The product groups treated for re-use include IT and telecommunication equipment, consumer electronics, electrical and electronic tools, toys and leisure equipment. The management of the reverse logistic system is based on RFID technology (radio frequency identification). The multi life cycle center follows the philosophy of recovering WEEE at the highest possible level, starting with re-use of the whole product down to the subassembly and component level and finally to the recycling of materials. This approach is unique in the world and we are going to prove that an eco-efficient re-use of WEEE on a large scale can be feasible by using highly sophisticated technologies. The presented paper gives an overview of the various functions of the multi life cycle center and highlights two key technologies: semi automatic disassembling and reverse logistic based on RFIDs.