RFID-BASED INDIVIDUALIZATION OF EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY AND RECYCLING FOR WEEE

Recycling of ICT and other electronic products is gaining in importance due to both ecological and economic reasons such as the shortage of resources contained in electronic devices. European legislation has handed the responsibility for recycling electronic products to the producers. However, the WEEE directive (waste electrical and electronic equipment) and its national transpositions have been criticized for failing to reach the original goal of promoting design for recycling. In this paper we analyze how detailed object-related information can support recycling processes. We propose a distributed RFID-based waste management information system for electronic devices which enables individualizing producer responsibility but also supports other goals of waste management by providing detailed object-related information. We first analyze deficiencies in current practice and then conduct a requirements analysis for the proposed system. Based on this we create a system design model, consisting of data and object model and system architectur

Protection and industrial structure in India

Effective protection rates in India are so high and vary so greatly that anything short of low uniform tariffs and the complete elimination of quantitative restrictions would not make the industrial incentive scheme transparent, as it needs to be. The authors produce evidence to show that there is ample scope for reducing tariffs and quantitative restrictions and that most industries could coexist with much less protection than they now have. By eliminating all surcharges on inputs (tariffs on imported inputs, price differentials on local inputs, nondeductible excise taxes) - even without correcting for the effects of high investment costs - most projects (including import substitution projects) would earn from current international prices a positive profit margin on their marginal as well as full production costs. The proportion of projects with a positive profit margin would triple, from 20 to 63 percent. Among import-substituting projects that are not candidates for export under the present trade regime, under the proposed new regime half would be candidates for export if they would procure their inputs at international prices. Lower tariffs would fulfill their primary purpose more effectively: providing protection and incentive signals. The function of generating public revenues, another critical issue in India, should be fulfilled not through tariffs but through more efficient and protection-neutral instruments - in particular direct taxation (income tax) and nontariff indirect taxation (neutral excise taxes, MODVAT, and preferably the value-added tax on consumption).Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Access to Markets,Markets and Market Access,Consumption

Standards in sustainable engineering and design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The financial and environmental costs associated with the manufacture and consumption of products may be reduced through design for efficient production, service life extension and post-consumer value recovery. In response to today’s need to design with consideration for the whole product life cycle, British Standards Institution (BSI) published BS 8887-1 (2006) Design for Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End-of-life processing (MADE). Original research into the distribution and use of this first part of the MADE series is reported in this thesis. The organizations that accessed BS 8887-1 were categorised using their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. The results are presented graphically in multilevel charts using the hierarchical structure of the SIC system. The study found that the majority of standards users that purchased or downloaded BS 8887-1 were companies in the manufacturing sector and particularly electronics producers. Educational institutions also showed high levels of interest in the standard. For the first time, the use of BS 8887-1 in practice has been investigated. The purpose was to discover if, why and how it is being used and to identify examples of its application in design practice. This was accomplished through semi-structured interviews with design practitioners from both industry and academia, thus helping to explain the results of the earlier SIC study. The information gathered through the interviews shows how BS 8887-1 has informed the design process and how it has been used in combination with various design and management techniques e.g. Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP). These studies suggest that demand for the standard has been stimulated by the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, especially the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. Importantly, the use of BS 8887-1 has been found to be helpful in winning new business and reducing the costs associated with manufacture, product maintenance and waste management. Based on the result of the qualitative research, a new model of the use of standards in the New Product Development (NPD) process is presented. The research was proposed by the Chairman of the BSI technical committee responsible for the BS 8887 series. The beneficiaries are BSI, industry and academia, since the investigation has shown BS 8887-1 to be of value, and has informed the continuing development of this series of standards. The thesis concludes by arguing for BS 8887 to become the basis of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard in order to reach a wider audience. It also identifies a need for the standard’s design requirements to be supported with additional supplementary interpretation expanding on, and adding detail to, the information in the standard itself. Influenced by this research, at the time of writing a new BSI working group was being formed to consider developing BS 8887 as an ISO standard. BSI had also begun the process of commissioning a handbook to assist designers in the practical application of BS 8887 in industrial design

Supply chain traceability of substances of concern across the electronics supply chain

Research study conducted for the global Industry association for printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing service companies, their customers and suppliers, known as IPC. IPC requested a research report be created to examine the state of supply chain traceability of chemicals within the Electronics industry. This report was generated and presented to the IPC Government Relations committee as part of IPC Impact Europe 2019 conference, 3rd to 4th December 2019.N/

Building a circular economy: The role of information transfer. EPC Discussion Paper 17 November 2021.

The circular economy is a crucial component of a climate-neutral future. One of the main obstacles to building a circular economy is the lack of information transfer across supply chains. Without any or inadequate access to data about the origin, make-up and design of products, it is impossible for producers, consumers and recyclers to adopt more circular, sustainable practices. Aligning the ongoing green transition and digital transformation carries the potential to overcome this barrier. The EU’s policies for enhancing information transfer across value chains is evolving quickly, as are new technologies. Today, online platforms, databases, apps, sensors, connected machines, QR codes, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and blockchain already make it easier to share data about a product's origin, design, repairability and future life cycle. Digital product passports (DPPs), in particular, show much promise. It is in Europe’s interest to build on the related business cases and opportunities now and create a policy and financial framework that enables the use of these and new digital tools for the benefit of establishing a more circular economy

End-of-Life management of wind turbines, PV modules and Lithium-Ion batteries: Current practices and closing the circular economy gap

Renewable energy generation and increased electrification are pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Consequently, global deployment of wind turbines, PV modules and electric vehicles has soared, and the trend is expected to continue. These technologies have only recently started reaching the end of their design lives, and rapid escalation of end-of-life (EoL) waste volumes are projected. This study responds to the imminent waste issue by researching current EoL management practices, initiatives and regulations of these three technologies in Canada and globally. Through extensive literature review and communications with select experts in the EoL field, it also seeks to identify factors that impede current EoL management efforts to close the circular economy gap and those that can support the overall sustainability of deploying these technologies. The EoL management of these technologies is in the early stages and many innovative initiatives are being explored and developed. There are currently few proven business cases, and barriers to the EoL strategies’ profitability and effectiveness include insufficient waste feedstock, inadequate collection infrastructure and second-life markets, and uncertainty about the assets’ remaining useful life. Designing for circularity, collaboration between supply chain stakeholders, circular business models and technology-specific regulations that incorporate extended producer responsibility, second-life targets and circular solutions can help progress the technologies toward improved sustainability. The research found that EoL management is a complex but necessary undertaking that needs to consider multiple, often conflicting factors. Additionally, the technologies and their EoL management practices are dynamic and fast-changing. Hence this study's findings are best viewed as compelling evidence of the increasing need for robust EoL management and a demonstration of potential solutions rather than absolute conclusions

Improving Household Hazardous Waste Collection Options for East Central Illinois

This background report contains information compiled as part of a study effort to develop a strategy to improve household hazardous waste (HHW) collection options available to residents of a seven-county study area in East Central Illinois. The report includes an overview of HHW collection activity statewide and a detailed review of existing HHW collection options in the study area as of January 2013. The report summarizes federal and state regulations relevant to HHW collection, best management practices associated with HHW, and challenges associated with HHW collection in the study area. The report includes input from interested persons and stakeholders regarding preferred HHW collection options; a review of cost comparisons typical of start-up, operation, and processing of a HHW collection facility vs. a one-day HHW collection in Illinois; and a preliminary “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats” (SWOT) assessment regarding three potential HHW collection options for the study area.This research was funded in part by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (Grant No. HWR13229), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, and in part by The Lumpkin Family Foundation.Ope

Plastic circular economy in the EU: Material Flow Analysis and Transition Analysis

Plastic is valued for its versatility, but concerns have been raised over the environmental impacts of plastic waste. A more in-depth investigation of the plastic system is still needed to understand current flows and factors to close the plastic cycle. This research applied a material flow analysis (MFA) and transition analysis (TA), using multilevel perspectives, to the plastic circular economy transition in the EU. The MFA covers over 400 categories of plastic-containing products with a detailed analysis of the final destination of waste. The TA identifies the interaction of barriers and drivers to use secondary plastics, with a focus on the regime level along the plastic value chain. The MFA results indicate the EU produced over 66  million tonnes (Mt) of plastic polymers/fibres and an estimated consumption for plastic products of 73 Mt in 2016. Plastic waste increases amounted to over 37 Mt, and a significant amount of plastic waste was not recovered back into plastics in the EU. The uncertainty analysis of MFA highlights important data quality issues that need to be addressed. To understand why using secondary plastics presents challenges, the TA mapped the factors across policies and standards, markets and business models, technology, and consumer preferences and behaviours that create a web of constraints and a web of drivers. TA results highlight that data-information-knowledge is the key gap as most of the aspects are cross-cutting. Different actors are involved in new business networks and play multiple roles in driving the co-evolutionary dynamic. The thesis concludes that significant data gaps need MFA-based knowledge to inform policies that address the barriers and the potential socio-technical changes that can reshape plastic flows. The cases playing out across the whole value chain and four different application areas provide insights that are potentially more widely applicable to the circular economy transition processes in Europe

Adoption of AI-empowered industrial robots in auto component manufacturing companies

The usage of AI-empowered Industrial Robots (InRos) is booming in the Auto Component Manufacturing Companies (ACMCs) across the globe. Based on a model leveraging the Technology, Organisation, and Environment (TOE) framework, this work examines the adoption of InRos in ACMCs in the context of an emerging economy. This research scrutinises the adoption intention and potential use of InRos in ACMCs through a survey of 460 senior managers and owners of ACMCs in India. The findings indicate that perceived compatibility, external pressure, perceived benefits and support from vendors are critical predictors of InRos adoption intention. Interestingly, the study also reveals that IT infrastructure and government support do not influence InRos adoption intention. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that perceived cost issues negatively moderate the relationship between the adoption intention and potential use of InRos in ACMCs. This study offers a theoretical contribution as it deploys the traditional TOE framework and discovers counter-intuitively that IT resources are not a major driver of technology adoption: as such, it suggests that a more comprehensive framework than the traditional RBV should be adopted. The work provides managerial recommendations for managers, shedding light on the antecedents of adoption intention and potential use of InRos at ACMCs in a country where the adoption of InRos is in a nascent stage