ENCIRCLE Project Use Cases
ENCIRCLE for Recycling, Refurbishing and Repairing Household Appliances
The Circular Value Chain for Household Appliances, led by Arçelik (ARCEL), aims to turn end-of-life (EOL) devices into reusable and refurbished products. Each year, ARCEL collects around 200,000 faulty appliances, many of which can be salvaged by reusing internal parts, refurbishing products, or repairing faults. ARCEL is a global appliance manufacturer with 15 plants, operating in over 100 countries and marketing 11 brands. By integrating ENCIRCLE’s Digital Marketplace, DPP Wallet, and the C2RM recommender system, ARCEL will expand diagnostics, boost refurbishment, and boost recycling. This approach reduces unnecessary disposal, lowers operational costs, and extends the useful life of appliances by promoting a more circular and sustainable home electronics sector.
ENCIRCLE for a Green and Virtual Production Line The Green and Virtual Production
Line use case, led by Alumil (ALUM), targets sustainability and efficiency in aluminium manufacturing by tackling high energy use and material losses. ALUM, Europe’s largest vertically integrated aluminium producer, operates across extrusion, foundry, and surface treatment, serving domestic and international markets. In its casting plants, significant amounts of material are lost to dross formation, while substantial natural gas is consumed, driving up both costs and emissions. By applying ENCIRCLE’s IIoT sensors, Digital Twins, and explainable AI (XAI), ALUM can optimize combustion, reduce dross, and reduce emissions. This improves energy efficiency, material use, and costs, while also significantly lowering the environmental footprint of aluminium production.
Enabling the DPP for the Circular Transition of Surface Technology
This use case promotes circularity and traceability in galvanized steel production, with ZINQ integrating real-time production data into ENCIRCLE’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) framework. ZINQ, Europe’s largest hot-dip galvanizing service provider, operates plants across several countries with an annual capacity of 650,000+ tonnes, serving industries from construction to automotive. Expanding on its earlier Digital Circular Product Passport (DCPP) work, ZINQ will use soft sensors and environmental data within Digital Twins to capture real-time production and life cycle insights. This captures the environmental impact and remaining useful life (RUL) of galvanized steel products, advancing traceability, decision-making, and circular business models. Through ENCIRCLE’s DPP wallet and App, ZINQ focuses on sustainability, circularity, and customer engagement in the galvanizing sector.
