Tender launched to improve collection & recovery of raw materials

Collection trials must be delivered in the UK, Germany, Italy or Turkey, and the recovery trials must happen in an EU member state. Bids from single entities or consortia are equally encouraged. Closing date for applications is 7^th April 2016.

Each year around 9.9m tonnes of Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) are generated in the EU, but only 30% is reported as properly collected and recycled. The Critical Raw Materials Closed Loop Recovery Project aims to increase the recovery of target critical raw materials by 5% by 2020 and by 20% by 2030.

The collection and recovery trials are the first stage in the €2.1m, three-and-a-half-year project, which is supported by the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union, Innovate UK and the Welsh Government, and led by WRAP. The outputs from the trials will inform policy recommendation throughout the EU.

Project partners include the European Recycling Platform (ERP), the European Advanced Recycling Network (EARN), the Wuppertal Institute and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).

Marcus Gover, Director, WRAP said: “WRAP research has shown that in the UK alone, we dispose of around 1.4m tonnes of electrical and electronic products per year and nearly 40% of this is landfilled. Yet these products contain critical raw materials such as gold and platinum, which are essential components of many household technology products and appliances. Economically and environmentally, it makes no sense to be burying them. Ensuring we have effective ways to recover valuable materials is crucial, so these trials are an important step in the development of the project.”

Scott Butler, UK and Ireland Regional Director, ERP said: “The Critical Raw Material Recovery project is a major R&D project that will allow us to assess whether we can get more value from the WEEE that is collected and treated across Europe and explore further opportunities for improving the collection of end-of-life products. The benefits from these trials could have major benefits for producers and the circular economy, as well as the environment and society as a whole.”

Kai Kramer, Manager WEEE Operations, EARN said: “The trials will be a unique opportunity to build synergies by sharing the experiences of collection and recovery activities by various actors in different countries. This would be a great chance to gain knowledge and to push innovation to improve the collection rates and to increase the amount of recovered critical raw materials in Europe.”

The Knowledge Transfer Network’s (KTN) Head of Sustainability and Resource Efficiency Steve Fletcher said: “KTN is proud to be a partner in the Critical Raw Material Closed Loop Recovery project. Proposals are sought from industry stakeholders with expertise in the collection and recovery of WEEE and the drive to challenge current thinking. The open tender process will offer all those with the right knowledge and expertise the chance to take part in these exciting trials.”

Full details on the eligibility criteria, scope and timescales can be found on the project website.