MobileRec – Collection, Disassembly and Recycling of Mobile Telecommunication Equipment

Introduction

The aim of this project is to develop environmental and economical efficient systems as well as technologies for an optimal recycling and particularly re-use of mobile phones

The current recycling technologies of electronic and electrical equipment are mostly split in material recycling and manual disassembly – nearly 100% of mobile phones are sent to material recycling, incineration and landfill.

 

In order to prevent deposing without any treatment or incineration, the only possible solution is to develop an intelligent and highly flexible disassembly system in order to reduce the costs of handling old mobile phones and to guarantee an environmental friendly reuse and recycling.

Furthermore, this project faces also the logistics and collection of mobile telecommunication equipment in order to achieve the highest possible collection rates of mobile phones.

 

 

Objectives

The main technical objectives of the work are:

 

  • To develop a highly efficient collection system of clapped-out mobile phones in order to achieve a high collection rate to avoid undesirable deposing on landfills and incineration of phones,
  • To find a cheap and fast test methodology to verify whether the obsolete or excess phones are still working,
  • To develop a technology to refurbish the working phones and re-integrate components into repair and in exemptions also into production processes,
  • To find a test method to detect hazardous substances in mobile phones,
  • To develop an eco-efficient disassembly and recycling technology for the non-working phones that fulfils the WEEE-Directive of the European Commission,
  • To research possible enhancements to the existing mobile phone design and production in order to come to a more sustainable life-cycle of this equipment.

 

By all these measures decrease the amount going to landfill or incineration, as well as decrease the threats to the environment and mankind of today’s state-of-the-art technology. 

 

 

 

Project coordinator 

MTR Mobile Telecommunication Recycling GmbH (AT) 

 

Partners 

Active Recycling (UK), TU Wien (AT), SAT (AT)