description
- ECOBULK through a large scale demonstration effort will contribute to “closing the loop” of composite products in the automotive, furniture and building sectors by promoting greater re-use, upgrade, refurbishment and recycle of products, parts, and materials. It will bring opportunities for both the environment and the economy by offering business opportunities along the entire new defined supply and value chains. ECOBULK approach will be based on identifying and promoting commonalities in processes, technologies, products and services ensuring replicability and transferability to other industrial sectors. The ambitious application of the circular economy model in the three selected sectors is justified by the high numbers of synergies, in terms of the design (design for modularity, design for disassembly/dismantling), materials (fibre and particle reinforced plastic composites), manufacturing technology (moulding, extrusion, hot pressing, thermobonding) and business models (leasing, renting, PSS, fix-it shops, etc.). The methodology will embrace and focus on large scale demonstration activities in 7 countries and more than 15 demonstrators to address the key components of the circular economy solutions; rethinking product design to shift towards a Design Circular Framework, validation of material and product manufacturing technologies to ensure technical and economic feasibility, new reverse logistics for the recovery of products and parts from consumers or users and into the supply chain, implementation of Innovative business models exploring C2C, B2C and B2B opportunities, and dissemination to raise awareness and knowledge sharing activities on circular economy solutions. Finally, an end-user and Stakeholder platform linking end users with relevant actors from the early design stages will foster second life, reuse and recycle of product and parts as well as material recovery for reintroduction into a circular production chain.