Recycling 4.0 is combining Industry 4.0 technologies with circular economy principles to advance the recycling sector in Lower Saxony, Germany, and beyond. The EU-funded project is creating a data-driven marketplace that allows for an exchange of information on every phase of a product’s lifespan, to increase processing and recycling efficiency.
Recycling 4.0: Germany takes recycling to the next level
- 19 February 2021
Recycling 4.0 combines classic topics such as recycling with new technologies from computer science and provides the base for an efficient future recycling process of traction batteries. It is key for a sustainable future, in line with the turnaround in e-mobility.
The Recycling 4.0 project is connecting everyone involved in the supply chain and life cycle of a product – from mining and supply of raw materials to assembly, usage, disassembly and recycling – and overcoming the lack of information exchange between them.
In doing so, the project is increasing recycling efficiency, optimising manufacturing and disassembly processes, while recovering raw materials. As a result, the project is contributing to a more sustainable, resource-efficient and climate-neutral Europe.
Towards more sustainable e-mobility
Taking the growing impact of electromobility as an example, the project focuses on the life cycle of lithium-ion batteries and how the shortage of some of its raw materials, such as nickel and cobalt, makes efficient recycling indispensable. A lack of consistent information management systems and inefficient disassembly processes makes recycling these batteries all the more challenging.
To close the information gaps in the supply chain and life cycle, the project proposed establishing an information marketplace for sharing and trading information, rather than selling products.
Everyone involved the life cycle of a product can share information related to their role in the chain. To incentivise those involved, the marketplace makes it possible to earn money by sharing information.
Involving the user
One important individual who is often overlooked is the product’s user. Usage is often the longest period of a product’s life cycle, and this is where information on the state, evolution and decline of a product is lacking. To remedy this, the project proposes including the user in the information exchange.
For example, in the case of a hybrid car, the owner can collect data on the state of the lithium-ion battery by connecting a mobile device with the car via Bluetooth. This ‘digital image’ can then be sold to interested parties, such as a dismantling company that needs this kind of information to efficiently dismantle the battery.
Led by the Technical University of Clausthal, and in collaboration with the Technical University of Brunswick and the Ostfalia University of Applied Science, the project is based in Lower Saxony because it is one of Europe’s leading regions for recycling economically important raw materials.
The region is home to both international material, product and component manufacturers and important processing, recycling and dismantling companies. The Recycling 4.0 project aims to strengthen the networking of these companies and increase the energy and resource efficiency of a sector where the sustainable use of raw materials is vital to achieving climate targets.
Because of the digital nature of the proposed information marketplace, the Recycling 4.0 concept can easily be transferred to other regions, countries and even industrial sectors. The international representation of many of the involved partners makes this all the more feasible.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Recycling 4.0” is EUR 1 969 122, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 590 734 through the “Niedersachsen EFRE-ESF” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “promotion of innovation”.