Consortium Calls for Enhanced Use of Recycled Plastics in Electronic Devices

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The project pursued by a consortium of universities and companies, led by Germany-based Fraunhofer IZM, called upon consumers to demand use of recycled plastic in electronic and electrical equipment. The multinational consortium, PolyCE further urged product manufacturers to ensure increased use of recycled plastics in new products. The project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and is supported by the United Nations (UN).

The consortium, comprising of nearly twenty partners, including multinational companies such as Philips and Whirlpool, has announced the launch of a two-year campaign that will run in nine countries-Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Finland, the USA and the UK. The campaign will focus on raising awareness among consumers and product manufacturers on the benefits of redesigning electronic products so as to contain increased quantities of recycled plastics.

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As per rough estimates, plastics account for almost one-fifth of all the materials in electronic and electrical equipment. However, most of these plastics are not designed for recovery and reuse. By designing products that favour recovery of plastic components, it could save nearly 2.5 million tonnes of plastics from the waste stream.

As part of the campaign, PolyCE plans to launch short videos featuring the benefits of recycled plastics over virgin plastics.