New approaches must be developed and implemented if the highest possible levels of sustainability are to be achieved. Focusing on material streams is one such approach. What, however, does this really mean? Focusing on material streams is actually no different to planning ahead. A raw material has to go through a number of different stages – from the moment it is extracted from the ground all the way through to when it ends up in a recycling facility. Wouldn't it be a smart idea to ensure that at each individual processing stage, the material is treated in such a way that the final stage – i.e. its recovery – is made as easy as possible? Of course it would. The reality, however, is very different. Thought is generally not put into the recycling of a material until the product ends up in the bin.
Focusing on material streams turns the whole concept of recycling into an issue that affects everyone – not just the waste management sector. Manufacturers must design their products so that the recyclable materials contained in them can be fully recovered – and recovered as easily as possible. Experts refer to this as designing for disassembly. Private individuals must rethink their consumer behaviour and use their products as efficiently and for as long as possible. All this sounds like a sensible idea. Which it is of course – but it also one that is not quite so simple. We must all pull together if progress is to be made here. At REMONDIS, we are doing everything in our power to achieve this. We work, for example, with manufacturers and run their waste management systems for them on site at their factories. There is, of course, still a lot to be done in this area. We shall continue to push forward this issue – and that's a promise.
'The smaller and more compact the device, the better' – this is a belief that primarily affects the electronics industry. The result: ever smaller components are being added to devices in ever more complex combinations. In some cases, they are actually mixed together or added as a film using vapour deposition. You certainly don't need to be a recycling expert here to realise that it is practically impossible to recover the individual fractions in a pure form. The question remains how to counteract this inherent product entropy. One option could be to specify the maximum number of steps that may be taken to completely dismantle a product so that all parts are separated strictly according to type. Something that is still a long way off? Possibly. Sustainability though is all about planning for the future.
Being one of the world’s leading recycling, service and water businesses with over 30,000 employees, everything we do revolves around sustainability. We ensure that the environment is protected and that natural resources are conserved in over 30 countries across four continents.
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REMONDIS SE & Co. KG
Brunnenstraße 138
44536 Lünen
Germany
T +49 2306 1060
F +49 2306 106100
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