DIS4REC Footwear disassembling technology for the optimisation of the recycling process
Footwear can be made up of up to 40 different types of materials and components, which makes recycling at the end of its useful life a real challenge. The most advisable solution would be to disassemble each shoe to separate its materials. In this context, INESCOP is developing the DIS4REC project, with funding from IVACE, with the aim of making a disassembly technique viable which, after identifying and characterising the materials and joints in a shoe, is capable of separating its main components to optimize the recycling process.
The characteristics of footwear, as a multi-component everyday product, make end-of-life recycling a complex task. On the other hand, European regulations for the fashion industry set clear targets for the recovery and reintroduction of waste as raw materials that promote circularity in production.
The multi-component nature of footwear makes recycling a complex task that could be simplified by a pre-processing stage that separates at least the sole from the upper, creating two blocks of materials with more homogeneous characteristics: polymers on the one hand, and leathers and textiles on the other. However, the difficulty in this disassembly lies in the complexity of footwear construction itself, built with successive layers of different materials generally joined together with different types of adhesives.
In response to this challenge faced by companies in the sector, INESCOP is carrying out the DIS4REC project, which combines robotic technology and sustainability with the ultimate goal of improving the recycling capacity of the footwear industry and, therefore, its circularity.
DIS4REC OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the DIS4REC project is to develop a viable disassembly technique capable of dismantling multi-component products such as footwear, optimising their recycling process by identifying and defining the most suitable techniques for the disassembly of shoes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Through this research, INESCOP aims to identify different approaches to enable the disassembly of footwear, based on the study of techniques to implement at least one validated disassembly method that allows the recovery of sole materials separated from the upper with a low percentage of residual impurities.
Start date: 01/01/2024
End date: 31/12/2024
Reference: IMDEEA/2024/45
DIS4REC video
E2.1 Deliverable State of the art on footwear disassembly and recycling Results report and Dissemination report (deliverables)
Collaborating companies:
The DIS4REC project contributes to the following SDGs:
Project funded by:
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