Improving availability of secondary raw materials through recycling (IA)

Expected Outcome

• Raw materials recycling and re-use of components and/or products from end-of-life products technologies and urban mines, including cost-effective and efficient disassembly, separation, shredding and sorting technologies for separation and recycling and the sustainable embedment of the process regarding energy, resource and water efficiency;
• Projects should analyse impacts on biodiversity of urban mines and subsequently propose solutions for reducing these impacts with the aim of renaturing these sites;
• Improved responsible supply of raw materials to Europe contributing to the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)[1] objectives (Article 1).

Scope

The focus is on raw materials (metals only), particularly on critical raw materials.

Actions should demonstrate new or improved systems located in the EU developing material efficient high-quality recycling of raw materials, improved resource efficiency and reduced impacts on biodiversity.

Actions should focus on the whole chain of recycling processes and procedures - from collection, logistics, characterisation, disassembly, separation, shredding, sorting, cleaning, refining, purification of secondary raw materials and quality of produced outputs, ending with renaturation of urban mines or waste deposits.

Recycling and re-use where the recycled material is of lower quality and functionality than the original material (downcycling), is not in the scope of the topic.

The recycling industry based in the EU, and users of recovered secondary raw materials should assume a prominent role in the proposed actions, supported by adequate allocation of resources.

Actions should envisage clustering activities with other projects aiming at bioremediation second life, re-use, repurposing, remanufacturing of products and/or components relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events. To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.

Proposals submitted under this topic must include a business case and a credible exploitation strategy, covering all required elements as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. For TRLs 6-7, a credible strategy to achieve future full-scale deployment in the EU is expected, indicating the commitments of the industrial partners after the end of the project.

International cooperation is encouraged with countries with which the EU has signed Strategic Partnerships on raw materials, especially with Ukraine.[2]

Activities are expected to start at TRL 5 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

[1] Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020

[2] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/raw-materials-diplomacy_en