Aspects of industrial recycling of electr(on)ic appliances

Facing an increasing amount of electr(on)ic appliances to be recycled each year as well as the overstocking of the disposal sites in Germany in near future, the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology's project "Industrial Disassembly of Electronic Products for Recycling (IREAK)" has been brought into life in August 1996. The aim is the development of new strategies for recycling and reuse and the realisation of a flexible industrial disassembly and recycling system for all kind of used electric and electronic products. This paper discusses methods of the design of products due to recycling and disassembly, the development of alternative disassembly systems, the realisation of an industrial recycling enterprise and the development of an intranet-based information system for manufacturers and recycling enterprises.