Traceability for a circular future
KEEP is an innovation project led by Chalmers Industriteknik during 2017-2024, aiming to investigate traceability for electrical products in preparation for the upcoming EU legislation around DPP.
The third and final phase of the project focused on full scale testing, where many of the 23 project partners piloted various solutions throughout the value chain of different products. Together, we are working towards a future with sustainable production, increased re-use, and recycling.
Below you can read about the learnings from the previous phase and try out our prototype.
Why KEEP?
Electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet with 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated each year. Only a fraction of all this waste ends up in formal recycling plants. This has devastating consequences for our planet and the health of people taking care of the waste. A traceability solution can have benefits for all actors throughout the product life cycle, from producers to material recyclers.
With the upcoming DPP legislation, the time has come to thoroughly investigate what is needed, desired and possible for different actors in terms of product traceability.
Words from the team
The journey of KEEP started in the end of 2017, when a group from Chalmers Industriteknik together with 7 organisations applied for a pre-study to explore how traceability could support circular economy for electrical and electronic products. The pre-study was granted funding by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova, and became KEEP phase 1. During 2018, talks were held with different companies and organisations along the value chain of electronic products about how traceability could support them in, for example, prolonging longevity of products and making material recycling more efficient. Back then, people were often sceptical to the chances to implement traceability systems.
Regulation Timeline
The regulations landscape is complex, but focus in this timeline lies on the work related to the ESPR and on the upcoming digital product passports. For a more comprehensive list of regulations for electronics and electrical product, see the timeline initiated by Martin Willers, CEO @ Transparent, and contributed to by many others. This is a snapshot of current regulation status and is prone to change.
KEEP is now part of something bigger
KEEP is now part of a bigger consortium, Trace4Value, where several Swedish traceability projects come together to contribute to the transition towards a circular economy. Trace4Value is financed by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency, and collects more than 50 organisations from five industries. If you want to learn more about Trace4Value, visit Trace4Value.se
Check out our webinar
Watch the final webinar of the project, held in March 2024!
In good company
KEEP is a collaboration between a wide range of companies eager to change the electronics industry and create a better future. The project involves big players as well as innovative startups.
