Analysis of end-of-life treatments of commercial refrigerating appliances: Bridging product and waste policies

This paper analyses the relationships between product design and end-of-life treatment, but also between product and waste policies, based on a relevant case study. Commercial refrigerating appliance is a suitable case study due to its recent inclusions in the scope of two important European pieces of legislation, the Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment Directive and the Ecodesign Directive. Commercial refrigerating appliances are business to business products with several peculiarities such as: customized design, high range of dimensions, content of complex electronic components and parts difficult to treat and recycle. The method used for the analysis: formalization, through literature review and survey of recycling plants, of treatments applied to the studied waste product; investigation of problems and difficulties in the recycling plants; identification of possible product-related improvement strategies; definition of workable product design options. For the analysis of actual recycling practices, data has been gathered through interviews with four European recyclers, and by consulting manufacturers and other experts of these products. Several potential design options to improve the recyclability of these products are identified and discussed, such as the design for dismantling of some key components, the restriction of some blowing agents and the labeling of insulation foams. The article finally shows how the enforcement of these design features, in particular through mandatory product policies such as the Ecodesign Directive, could facilitate their end-of-life treatment and hence ease the compliance with the waste legislation.