To kick-start this, Electrolux and Stena are coming together with Swedish companies ABB, Combitech and Stora Enso for the first annual Circular Initiative event taking place today, 27 June, to share challenges, experiences and opportunities in order to develop improved recycling technologies.
The initiative also includes an innovative pilot project together with Stena, ABB and Combitech. A smart robot in a new facility will disassemble vacuum cleaners from Electrolux and identify recyclable fractions. The collaboration will give Electrolux a better understanding of how to close the recycling loop in large-scale manufacturing, building products from recycled materials that can also be recycled in the most efficient way. As part of the project, Electrolux intends to develop a concept vacuum cleaner that is 100% recyclable and made from 100% recycled plastics.
Electrolux Chief Operations Officer Jan Brockmann, who will be speaking at the event explains:
“Electrolux has focused on sustainability for many years, but there is more work to be done to think circularly about everything we do. It covers everything from product design to which materials we use, as well as new business models. We look forward to learning more and contributing to a more circular society through this collaboration. Our ambition is to significantly increase the amount of recycled plastics in our products, and we will soon introduce new targets for 2030.”
Stena Recycling collects discarded electric consumer products and breaks them down into raw materials for new products or for energy recovery. For more information about the Circular Initiative visit here.
To read more about the Electrolux Group’s work to make better use of resources, go here.
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Electrolux
Published Jun 27, 2019 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT / 9pm BST / 10pm CEST