MATChE Webinar Series #8: Takeback & End-of-Life Strategies

This Webinar Episode

In this webinar you will learn about readiness of ‘Takeback and End-of-Life Strategies’, which measures the capabilities that will ensure maximised value of end-of-life products.. The webinar took place Jan 29, 15:00 - 15:30 CET and is presented by Professor Tim C. McAloone.

Q&A from the webinar

Why is it that the Electronics Industry is scoring lower than many other?
- Because of the directives about eco-design in particular along with the legislation, which the electronics industry is very driven by, we are seeing that the bar is being raised in general. On the other hand, a lot of the initiatives and business model cases that we have seen in our platform have not had the same baseline raise over the years. Also, other sectors like Food & Beverage, and Construction has relatively higher score because of the increased attention over the recent years, again contributing to a relatively lower score for the Electronics industry.

What is needed to boost the take back performance of companies? And is it always a good idea to do so, sustainability-wise?
- It needs to be worthwhile doing it, which depends on product, market and sector. In terms of drivers to boost the take-back activites include economic incentives, and the value needs to be there for the companies as well, not only consumers.
- It is not always sustainable. If we spend too much resources to get the product back, then it has not been worth it. Perhaps then, we should consider if we can reduce these impacts in our logistics.

What is the best way to implement a take-back system? Alone or in collaboration?
- It depends on the sector and products. The beverage industry in Denmark is a good example, where all the competitors got together and developed the bottle deposit system. If each brand had their own system, it would probably be too complex to make sense, economically and environmentally.

How would you explain a higher readiness for the end of life by the food industry?
- The food & beverage industry is characterised, in many countries (e.g. all of the Nordics) for deposit systems. We had a number of this type of companies in our platform.

Should there be legistations to pressure companies to take back products?
At least here in EU, we see a mixed-method approach, where if the private market can self-regulate, whichis great. But at some stage, regulation takes over - often from the leading companies, in order to bring the whole market along.

About MATChE

Having a sense of the current situation and defining where to start, is the first step in any transition. But how can you know where your opportunities for circular economy lie and how ready you are to act on them? The MATChE Readiness Assessment is a free online tool, that allows you and your colleagues to assess your company’s readiness for circular economy, understand your strengths and opportunities, and define the right area of the company to focus your transition on first. Behind the assessment and process for increasing company readiness for circular economy is the MATChE methodology. The methodology builds on research and scientific studies done at the Technical University of Denmark, considers 8 dimensions of business operations that is critical to consider, for transitioning to a circular business. The multi-dimensional approach is needed, as circular economy is a wide ranging topic, that can include all areas of your company.

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