Electronic devices are an integral part of our everyday lives, but what happens to them at the end of their life cycle? How can valuable resources be recovered and reused instead of ending up in the landfill?
Come to the Climate Lab Connect Day on May 19, and join us as we explore these and other questions at our “Deep Dive: Reuse, Recycle, Recover – Rethinking electrical appliances for the circular economy.” Together with experts, we will examine how the circular economy could work in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) – from recycling and refurbishment to innovative technological approaches.
In the run-up to the event, you are welcome to work alongside our community of climate innovators in our co-working space. And we will end the day together with a round of networking at our Happy Hour with the community.
** Climate Lab Connect Day **
9:00–15:30 … Co-working with the community
15:30–17:00 … Deep Dive: Reuse, Recycle, Recover – Rethinking electrical appliances for the circular economy
17:30–18:30 … Climate Lab Happy Hour
15:30–17:00 … Deep Dive: Reuse, recycle, recover – Rethinking electrical appliances for the circular economy
Electronic devices are an essential part of our everyday lives, but most end up in the landfill and the valuable resources needed to produce them are lost. This deep dive explores the opportunities and challenges of transforming the field of information and community technology (ICT) into a circular economy, from waste management and recycling to innovative technologies and opportunities for the consumer market.
A central focus of this Deep Dive will be on the “Initiative for the recovery of critical raw materials from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE),” which aims to improve the recovery and recycling of these valuable resources in Austria. Based on the Critical Raw Material Act and the Clean Industry Deal, the initiative brings together stakeholders from industry, science, government and waste management to develop sustainable processes and a well-integrated circular economy.
Keynotes will offer insights into challenges and (potential) solutions along the entire value chain:
- Paul Anton Ploberger, Public Affairs Lead at refurbed: refurbed is one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for refurbished electronics in Europe. With a legal background and a clear vision for sustainable consumption, Paul is committed to shaping the public framework that makes the circular economy possible at refurbed. Whether it’s about reusing, repairing or recycling, Paul brings practical insights from a company experienced in extending the life of electronics. If we want to achieve our climate goals, we need to think about circularity in technology from the outset.
- Florian Würrer, Innovation Lead at Climate Lab: In cooperation with the BMLUK, Florian is leading a project to recover critical raw materials from discarded electronic products. Florian shows how innovative approaches and cross-sector cooperation can create value out of waste—and why this is essential for the security of our resources and supply chains as well as our climate strategy.
- Stefan Schott, Co-Founder & CEO of Wastics: Wastics works for the digitalization and optimization of waste management. Its goal is to optimize disposal processes, make better use of recycling potential, and return recyclable materials back into the production cycle in a targeted manner. In this Deep Dive, Stefan provides insight into Wastics platform and a new project focusing on electrical and electronic equipment—and shows how data-based technologies can strengthen recyclability along the entire chain of waste management.
After the presentations, there will be time for questions and open discussion.
Participation in Climate Lab Connect Day is free of charge. Capacity is limited, so RSVP now!