Improving resource efficiency for the production and recycling of electronic prodicts by adoption of waste tracking system

China is a fast developing economic region, especially the production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is rapidly growing. On the one hand these growing amounts of EEE cause severe environmental damages when not handled properly as waste. On the other hand post-consumer Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) contain many materials that are valuable when used as secondary raw materials in the production processes of electronics. In addition the recycling of residual materials from the electronics production industry saves valuable resources. The objectives of the project are to link supply and demand of secondary raw materials in electronic production and recycling (chain approach), to develop an adequate recycling infrastructure for WEEE as post-consumer waste and secondary raw materials from electronic producing industry and to develop a knowledge structure on Design for Recycling between the recyclers and the electronic producing industry. Main outputs of the projects are • a system structure for a chain approach of EEE and the implementation of an adapted Waste Tracking System • the establishment of a Secondary Materials Exchange Platform linking supply and demand of secondary raw materials • a network and capacities for stakeholders to use the Waste Tracking System and the Secondary Materials Exchange Platform • guidelines, manuals and training toolkits for the use of the Waste Tracking System and Design for Recycling • standards for the collection and recycling of post-consumer WEEE The expected results are • a network of SMEs (electronics producers and WEEE recyclers), • an increased share of environmentally friendly products by increased use of secondary raw materials manufactured by the SMEs in the network • a higher collection rate of post-consumer WEEE from larger generators among the targeted partners • An increased recycling rate of WEEE increased at the recycling facilities among the SMEs in the network