CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF EXISTING RECYCLABILITY ASSESSMENT METHODS FOR NEW PRODUCTS IN ORDER TO DEFINE A REFERENCE METHOD

Abstract

The designers of products subject to the European regulations on waste have an obligation to improve the recyclability of their products from the very first design stages. The statutory texts refer to ISO standard 22 628, which proposes a method to calculate vehicle recyclability. There are several scientific studies that propose other calculation methods as well. Yet the feedback from the CREER club, a group of manufacturers and suppliers expert in ecodesign and recycling, is that the product recyclability calculation method proposed in this standard is not satisfactory, since only a mass indicator is used, the calculation scope is not clearly defined, and common data on the recycling industry does not exist to allow comparable calculations to be made for different products. For these reasons, it is difficult for manufacturers to have access to a method and common data for calculation purposes. A critical analysis of the standard and the various calculation methods identified in scientific journals was performed. An initial discussion brought to light several possible scopes of calculation. Additional indicators, such as quality loss or economic value loss, would be complementary to the mass indicator. Case studies were performed to compare these different methods. A new method and its scope of calculation are proposed in order to develop a reference method.