Defining the end-of-life scenario of a product is very important because it determines its eventual recyclability.
It is not always so simple to know the final destination of a product, as there are many factors to consider.
Firstly, the choice of material is crucial, because depending on its nature and characteristics, it is possible to define its potential end-of-life, whether it is recyclable, biodegradable or impossible to recycle.
Secondly, it must be taken into account that the choice of material is closely linked to the design. The concept and design of the product play a substantial role at this stage, precisely because the combination of different materials could compromise their recyclability. It is therefore of paramount importance to design products according to ecodesign principles and to make it possible to disassemble components made of different types of materials.
A further factor is to be aware of the presence of consortia or collection chains for the materials to be used.
Some products belonging to specific sectors, e.g. WEEE, end-of-life tyres, batteries, packaging, are facilitated because they are recovered and collected by dedicated consortia, so it is easier to have access to reliable and truthful recycling data.
For products in other sectors such as furniture, fashion, objects, a much more complex and articulated analysis is required. Matrec in its activity, through inspections at recycling plants and analysis of reports and official documents, combines and elaborates possible scenarios depending on the type of product and materials used.
Recycling represents the opportunity to be able to put recycled material back into the economic system. The common goal at the European level is to increase the circularity rate of materials year by year, i.e. the share of secondary raw materials (which derive from recycling) used within the market; the European figure for 2020 is 12.8%, the Italian figure is 21.6%. Recycling rates, on the other hand, are much higher, testifying to the fact that it is certainly necessary to implement a production system capable of developing disassemblable products for the recovery of materials at the end of their life, but at the same time it is essential to reuse them as input in the production of new products.
It is crucial not to confuse ‘potential recycling‘ with ‘real recycling‘ as end-of-life scenarios can be complete opposites.

Source and image: matrec