Since 2019, igus has been using its chainge recycling program to give old cable beads a new life. Now the motion plastics specialist is going one step further. Recycling starts at assembly. To prevent industrial waste, igus organizes the return of worn-out cable beads - returning them to the material cycle.
Every machine and component sooner or later reaches the end of its service life. Manufacturing companies are then faced with the question of whether to modernize or purchase new equipment. Sustainability plays an increasingly important role here. After all, according to the Global E-waste Monitors, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were generated worldwide in 2019 alone. A more environmentally friendly upgrade of old machines is the so-called retrofit: instead of buying new machines, companies can have existing equipment rebuilt or refurbished to bring it back up to the latest standards. However, this does not solve the problem of what to do with the discarded components.
For new installation, retrofitting or maintenance, igus focuses on recycling instead of disposal - starting as early as assembly planning. The recycling service is automatically offered with every new installation order and does not involve any additional cost or effort for the customer. igus takes care of the waste material in four simple steps: first, igus removes the worn-out cable track, then disassembles it into smaller pieces and packs them into Big Bags. Finally, igus arranges the return transport and logistics. The installation coordinator directs the transport company that collects the discarded cable tracks. That way, the customer only has to present and load the waste material for collection. It is then disposed of and recycled as part of the igus chainge program. This service is offered for both igus cable tracks and cable tracks from other manufacturers. Customers receive a voucher based on the weight of the cable beads. The discarded plastics are separated by type, cleaned and processed into pellets so that the material can be reused.
The customer gets everything from one source (the manufacturer), including a 36-month warranty on newly installed cable crawler systems. igus' installation service saves customers installation time and costs. They also benefit from very short downtimes and a longer service life. This means they face fewer failures in the long run. With a special online tool, users can even calculate the exact installation time of their cable crawler system. "It is igus' goal to save customers valuable time with the installation service while offering them a sustainable solution for the disposal of old material. This measure is intended to further contribute to a more sustainable use of limited resources," said Michael Berteit, Sales Manager Engineering Projects and Assembly Service at igus.
igus, specializing in high-performance polymers, has launched chainge, a recycling program for cable beads, which has already collected and recycled 32.3 tons of material worldwide. So far, 13 countries have participated in the program: Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Poland, France, China, Italy, Brazil, Malaysia, Hungary, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Spain - with most of the returns coming from Germany and China. "We are very pleased that the recycling program is very popular with our customers and we are confident that by 2022 we will achieve at least double what we have achieved so far," adds Michael Berteit. igus uses the chainge program to bring old plastics back into the material cycle, systematically promoting the circular economy.
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