AREP - Advanced recycling, recovery and reuse of electronic parts

The aim of the thematic network, AREP, was to strengthen the European industry and to preserve the European leadership in environmental technologies because especially America and Asia are currently intensifying enormously their efforts to get into this immense market. For this thematic network the special topic of recycling, recovery and reuse of electronic parts at the end of their life was chosen.

The following activities have been conducted:

• An inventory of the research activities currently in all Member States (in comparison to the rest of the world) on the following subjects: sustainable development, collection logistics, disassembly, reuse of usable parts, recovery of precious and rare materials, recycling of non-hazardous materials and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances.
• An investigation of the willingness of the networking organisations to co-operate. The overall goal is to attract several electronics producers, end-users (recycling companies), automation equipment manufacturers, shipping agents and municipal authorities from as many member states as possible.
• A demonstration of the commitment of participants and the provision of an outline workplan including several research tasks, a detailed market review concentrated on special topics and selected countries and the training and transfer of technologies to industry.

With the submitting of the ECOLIFE project proposal, the activities of AREP were very successfully terminated. 

The project was proposed by 5 partners (60 % from industry) representing 3 member states. The budget worked out for the exploratory phase is € 60.000 out of which 75 %, equal to € 45.000 was asked from the Brite-EuRam programme.

Duration 

4.9.1997 – 17.12.1997

Coordinator

Technical University of Vienna (AT)

Partners

Fundacion Robotiker (ES), Selectronik Computer Recycling GmbH (DE), RELECTRONIC-REMECH (AT), Sony International GmbH (DE)