The circular economy therefore helps to keep products in circulation for as long as possible and then to recover their parts and materials at the end of product life.
An increasing number of companies are now adapting the circular economy approach due to a growing variety of environmental challenges (waste, pollution, shortage of resources) and regulatory constraints. In many countries, for example, manufacturers of electronic products are obliged to take care of them at the end of life. In Europe, this is regulated by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive (2012/19/EU), which obliges manufacturers to collect, recycle, and recover all types of electrical goods.
Organizing the reverse logistics of goods has become an obligation for consumer electronics manufacturers. At the same time, it enables them to generate extra revenue and create a positive brand image in terms of CSR.
The switch towards a circular economy therefore creates new business opportunities for reverse logistics companies. GEODIS has implemented an asset recovery center in Germany that gives a second life to high tech equipment.