Recycle

We have been working on the most outer loop of the circular economy, recycling, for almost a decade.

One of the targets of our sustainability program, EcoVision, is to double the global collection and recycling and the amount of recycled materials in our products by 2015 compared to 2009.

The amount of collection and recycling for 2013 (reported in 2014) was calculated at 31,500 tonnes, a 3% increase compared to 31,000 tonnes reported in 2013, mainly driven by lower weight of products and components in Healthcare, offset by higher volumes in Lighting. The 2009 baseline for global collection and recycling amounts was around 22,500 tonnes, based on the data retrieved from the WEEE collection schemes and from our own recycling and refurbishment services (mainly Healthcare).

Approach on Recycling Schemes

Philips supports the principle of Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) as introduced in article 12.3 of the WEEE Directive. We therefore actively cooperate with our industry partners; the recycling community and other stakeholders to further develop these systems and their supporting financial mechanisms to create the boundary conditions to make IPR work. We see a transition to a Circular Economy as a practical way to implement the Individual Producer Responsibility principle in reality.

Philips supports the setup of recycling infrastructures together with industry partners, where we share a common strategy: creating sustainable financing schemes which guarantee the effective and environmentally sound collection and recycling of WEEE. This approach has proven to be successful in reducing environmental impact, minimizing the costs to society of these activities, raising consumer awareness, and increasing effectiveness of recycling.

This graph shows the amount of WEEE collected over the years. Refer to this document to see the methodology and metrics used to calculate the performance indicator.

WEEE collected (in tons)

Philips recycles used products and related packaging materials in accordance with all environmental laws. To get there, we work with various organizations. Depends on where you are around the globe, retrieve detailed information on how to properly recycle Philips products from the list below..

go to product recycling services page

Recycling information for our Healthcare equipment

Philips makes information available to reuse centers, treatment and recycling facilities on how to best dismantle and recycle our Healthcare equipment. These “Recycling Passport” are arranged by business/modality and product name or number for each type of EEE placed on the market. For more details please click here

Recycled materials in our products

To stimulate the use of recycled plastics we have set a target to use 3500 tons of recycled plastic in 2015. We calculate our performance by multiplying the weight of the recycled plastics per product and the number of products sold. Information on the amount of recycled polymers in plastics is provided by our suppliers.

We calculated the amount of recycled materials used in our products in 2014 at some 13,000 tonnes (2013: 14,000 tonnes), by focusing on the material streams plastics (Consumer Lifestyle), aluminum (Lighting), refurbished products, and spare parts harvesting (Healthcare) depending on the relevance in each sector. Our target is to double global collection and recycling and the amount of recycled materials in our products by 2015 compared to 2009, when the baseline was set at 7,500 tonnes.

Using Recycled Plastic in our Consumer Lifestyle Products (in tons)

Overview of recycled plastics in consumer lifestyle products

Steam iron GC 37 series

We ensured that the plastic components of this iron is made of recycled plastics. We successfully replaced 11 components. This iron is made of 30% recycled plastics

Sub- Inlay - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)
Filling Door - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)
Housing - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)
Cover - Recycled Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
Thermostat Dial - Recycled Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
Inlay Normal - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)
Inlay Cover - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)
Backplate - Recycled Polycarbonate (PC)

Internal Parts

- Tank Bottom: Recycled PP Homopolymer

- Channel Plate: Recycle PP Homopolymer

- Cam Bracket: Recycled PC

Green Performer Vacuum Cleaner

We used recycled Polypropylene (PP) for the plastic parts of this vacuum cleaner. We incorporate 25-47% of recycled plastics in our entire Performer vacuum cleaners range.

Lower back
Cord outlet
Back plate
Dust Cover
Lower front

SENSEO Up

We use 13% recycled plastics in the SENSEO Up by replacing virgin materials of two components to recycled ones.

We introduced a 90% recycled Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic from post consumer electronic waste into the baseplate.
The frame is made of 40% reinforced polypropylene, a plastic used in many household appliances

Read more about our circular economy activities and especially the design of this machine on the Guardian.

Steam Generator – PerfectCare ECO Aqua

About 50% of the weight of this machine is plastic. In total, 17 parts of this iron made of recycled plastics.

Front lock bracket - Recycled PBT, 48% Post Consumer Resin (PCR)
Tank bottom - Recycled PP, 90% Polyisocyanurate (PIR)
Stand bottom - Recycled PP, 90% Polyisocyanurate (PIR)
Housing - Recycled PC, 90% Post Consumer Resin (PCR)
Iron inlay - Recycled PP, 90% Polyisocyanurate (PIR)

More on our green products

Design for recyclability

Recyclability – including designing for disassembly – is critical to reduce the environmental impact of our products at the end of their life and reduce the costs of recycling. Design for recyclability will also allow us to move to the inner loops of circular economy such as parts harvesting. This is one of the areas we focus on in our Eco Design approach, as we work to continuously improve the overall environmental performance of our products. See an example of the Slimstyle LED light bulb.

Cooperation and partnerships

Next to all our partners in the circular economy program, we work with these organizations specifically for collection and recycling.

StEP (Solving the E-waste Problem)

Philips is a member of the Solving the E-Waste Problem (STEP) initiative, which is a UN supported global public-private initiative. STEP charter members include Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Dell, Ericsson, and Cisco Systems, along with governmental, NGO and academic institutions, as well as recycling and refurbishing companies.

The primary goals of this initiative are to standardize recycling processes globally to harvest valuable components in electrical and electronic scrap (e-scrap), extend the life of products and markets for their reuse, and harmonize world legislative and policy approaches to e-scrap.

To learn more about STEP please visit http://www.step-initiative.org/

An example of how the STEP initiative works in practice is our cooperation with other electronics companies in Africa. Since 2011, Philips has worked with HP, Nokia, Dell and Reclaimed Appliances in the e-waste solutions alliance for Africa. The Alliance is working together with several African governments on the set up of regional and national e-waste legislation. The goal of the Alliance is to facilitate the development of practical solutions for e-waste management in Africa resulting in sustainable solutions for the collection, recovery and recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment.

En.lighten initiative

The en.lighten initiative was created in 2009 as a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme ("UNEP"), two representatives of the Lighting Industry with the support of the Global Environment Facility. The National Lighting Test Centre became a partner in 2011. The en.lighten initiative has currently 44 partner countries.

The en.lighten initiative addresses the challenge of accelerating global market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies by developing a coordinated global strategy and providing technical support for the phase-out of inefficient lighting.

UNEP is in the process of piloting 32 countries during 2012 – 2013 aiming to establish collection and recycling activity for the environmentally sound management of lighting equipment in these countries. Philips Lighting provides strategic and practical support to introduce energy efficient lighting in these countries along with collection & recycling programs.

Product recycling services

Dealing with electronic waste is a concern for industry and society. E- Waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams so it is important that our products are treated recycled at its end of life.