Ecotrel aims to integrate the concept of extended producer responsibility into that of the circular economy. The notion of resources is thus highlighted. Ecotrel deals with devices at the end of their life cycle and tries to extend this life cycle of products by repairing and reusing them.
This circular economy scheme can be described in several steps:
- Producers and importers place electrical and electronic equipments on the market and meet their environmental obligations.
- The consumer finances the collection and treatment of old appliances as soon as they are purchased by paying a recycling fee. Consumer involvement in the selective collection of old equipment is very important.
- Luxembourg is 100% covered by a collection network composed of container parks, mobile collections of the SuperDrecksKëscht and the take back from distributors.
- Some parks and other actors repair devices that consumers get rid of and give them a second life.
- Manual disassembly of other devices to facilitate the reuse of certain components, to remove all batteries.
- In accordance with the principle of proximity, the treatment is carried out in factories close to Luxembourg while guaranteeing the best available processing techniques in order to provide the industry with high-quality raw materials.