An integrated framework for planning of recycling activities in electrical and electronic sector

Abstract

In Europe 7.3 million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were created in 2002, and the fact that the growth rate of WEEE is 3–5% per annum, with a significant amount of this waste used to be dumped into landfills without any pre-treatment, has resulted in the introduction of a European WEEE directive. The directive requires companies who manufacture or import electrical and electronic equipment to take financial and legal responsibility for its environmental-friendly recovery and recycling. The current recycling applications of WEEE are often developed on an ad hoc basis and mainly attributable to the hidden economic value within used products. However, at present the recycling facilities are faced with the challenge to improve WEEE recycling activities to ensure that a larger proportion of components and materials are being recovered at a reasonable cost and yet at the same time legislative requirements are being met. A major assertion made in the research reported in this paper is that a systematic framework is needed to aid the decision making involved in adopting the best possible end-of-life strategies for WEEE. The paper presents one such integrated framework for the planning of the processes involved in the recycling of WEEE. Based on this framework, a computer-aided recycling process planning (CA R PP) system which generates bespoke recycling process plans for WEEE has been developed, which is also described and its functionality demonstrated using a typical WEEE product.