Toward a Collaborative Platform for the Life Cycle Design and Management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are a large family of common products that support the daily activities of our life (e.g. washing of clothes, food storage, cooking). In this sector the scarce use of life cycle engineering methods and tools represents an important barrier against the practical implementation of circular economy models. The study aims to propose a platform, called PiCo2RAEE, to support the design and management of the EEEs during the whole life cycle, fostering collaboration among the most important life cycle stakeholders, from designers to consumers to subjects involved in end-of-life management. The platform integrates three main modules: (i) a tool dedicated to the design for disassembly; (ii) a digital tool to track relevant information among all the value chain stakeholders; (iii) a tool to favor the sharing and recirculation of information, competences, products, components and materials. The PiCo2RAEE platform aids the adoption of circular models based on enhancing EEEs durability, recyclability, repairability, upgradability, remanufacturability.