Reverse logistics and management of end-of-life electric products

Bay Zoltan Foundation for Applied Research Institute of Logistics and Production Engineering (BAYLOGI) in co-operation with the Hungarian subsidiary company of Electrolux Co. started a research work financed by the Hungarian National Committee for Industrial Development to build up the theoretic bases of the environmentally sound electric product recycling. Since used old type refrigerators have intensive influence on the environment considering the hazardous R11 content, this product was selected as test model for the investigation. Strategic methods were used to optimise the collection logistics, the warehouse management and financing. Special software tools developed by BAYLOGI were installed to help the management system at the collection sites and in the disassembly and recycling plant. A life cycle analysis method was used to determine the environmental effect of the equipment and disassembly strategies for the recycling and reuse possibilities of parts. Results of the project are presented in this paper.