CASE STUDY 1: Repair of small/large appliances
This case study links together WP2 (Circular Technology), WP3 (Circular Business) and WP4 (Circular
Economics & Society) in the Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals. It also links to work being
carried out by the Circular Economy Centre for Technology Metals and by NICER-funded SMEs (Tech
TakeBack, Restart). We focus on the opportunities to increase circularity of metals in small & large
electrical appliances through increasing the life of those products via repair and reuse. This case study
is a systems analysis that represents a synthesis of the results of different work packages and research
projects to highlight the barriers and opportunities to increased metals circularity. We have held
workshops with stakeholders (BEKO, TakeBack, Restart) and policymakers (DEFRA).
Continue reading here.
CASE STUDY 2: Sustainable Packaging of drink containers in a Circular Economy
Two recent studies (1,2) of the materials predominately used for drinks packaging have recently
been published one by Wood Mackenzie for the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) and one by
Sphera for the Ball Corporation. The IAI study covered the cost competitiveness and greenhouse gas
emissions for PET, aluminium and glass whilst the Ball study covered the same materials but also
included beverage cartons. The results of the Ball study that concentrated on Life Cycle Analysis
were subjected to a critical review by an external pane of experts.
Continue reading here.
CASE STUDY 3: Challenges and opportunities in the steel frame construction industry:
increasing circularity through reuse
Structures built with steel frames primarily use steel beams and columns for their core structure, with
other materials like concrete, glass, or plastic forming the walls and roofs. The frame bears the
building’s weight and provides the essential structural support. Steel and concrete buildings have long
become mainstream in the built environment due to their technical characteristics, such as, relative
strength and low cost, adaptability and allowing for short constructions times. Concrete and steel
structures made up around 75% of embodied carbon of residential buildings in 2018. From this figure
around 60% may come from cementitious materials (with a range of variation among building types)
and 11-15% from steel structures (Drewniok et al., 2023). Therefore, more emphasis is being drawn
into ways to lower embodied carbon (UNDP, 2024).
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CASE STUDY 4: Electric Vehicles – Design for Recycle
Total global car sales1 were 67.3m in 2022, 75.3m in 2023 and are predicted to be over 77m
in 2024. Global electric vehicle (EV) sales2 were over 10m in 2022, 15% of the total, 14m in
2023, (19% of the total) and over 17m in 2024, 22% of the total. The global EV fleet is
predicted2 to reach 230m by 2030, over 10% of the total (2.3b), on the basis of current
worldwide policies, and 380m, 16% of the total, if we are to achieve net zero by 2050.
Continue reading here.
