Issue: Circular Economy

Additive manufacturing with recycled material? Both equipment manufacturers and end users place high demands on powder quality. Research projects at Fraunhofer IPK show that these can be met with solutions beyond conventional processes.

Is your refrigerator or washing machine broken? Our researchers are developing an assistance system to determine whether a repair is worthwhile or if the appliances need to be recycled.

The Green Deal, the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy, and the Ecodesign Regulation – for policymakers, the transition to a circular economy is a done deal. But this transformation requires expertise. How can SMEs adapt to it?

There are many paths to circularity. Researchers at Fraunhofer IPK use simple metrics to show which approaches are truly suitable for a company.

Imagine a tiny bacterium turning old frying oil into plastic – and not just any plastic, but a type that doesn’t harm the environment. Sound like magic? It’s not! At Fraunhofer IPK, researchers are working with just such a bacterium. Its name: Tori.

Why the circular economy must be part of Germany’s strategic response to the multi-crisis.

Interoperability and collaboration – according to Dr. Angelina Marko of ZVEI e. V., these are the cornerstones of a functioning circular economy. In her guest article, she shares insights from industrial practice.

No matter how much political will there is, the implementation of the circular economy ultimately rests with businesses. We spoke with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Ramesohl, co-director of the Digital Transformation Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy gGmbH, about what businesses need to make this happen and how they stand to benefit.

As part of ReTraNetz-BB, concepts are being developed to apply circular economy to electric motors in electric vehicles.

Vehicle dismantling is a fundamental prerequisite for the circular economy, especially in Germany, the home of the automobile. Digitalizing and ultimately automating this process could take us a giant step forward on the path to circularity. In conversation with FUTUR, Sophie-Odette Hohlfeld (LRP Autorecycling), Olaf Uhlig (Smoods GmbH), Janine Mügge, and Dr.-Ing. Jan Kuschan (both Fraunhofer IPK) describe how they are moving closer to this vision.