Circular economy and sustainability
ENSURING CIRCULARITY OF SOLDIER PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
UTILE
Motivation
Improving the sustainability and environmental awareness of the EU military, in line with the principles of the Circular Economy, requires the adoption of new circular approaches to the production and use of Soldier’s Personal Protective Equipment (SPE) that follow the reduce, recover, reuse, repurpose and recycle (5R) approach.
However, due to the burden of complicated logistics for collection and dismantling and the technical difficulties of separating and recycling multi-material parts, these SPEs have a defined shelf life and must be disposed of subsequently, with a substantial environmental and economic impact.
Objectives
Development of new approaches to encourage the recovery and recycling of materials in the defence value chain, focusing on soldier’s personal protective equipment (SPE), under a Circular Economy approach.
Expected results
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Digital tools that enable the flow of materials in the supply chain and support stakeholders in making informed decisions.
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Technologies that facilitate the upstream recycling of current SPE products through mechanical and chemical recycling, while exploring new applications for recovered materials in the defence sector.
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Technologies aimed at reducing environmental impact during the manufacturing process by promoting more sustainable and environmentally friendly processes, including the replacement of petroleum-based materials with bio-generated alternatives.
Grant number: Grant Agreement Nº101121292
Programme: European Union Defence Fund Programme
Period of execution: December 2023 – November 2026
Status: In progress
Entity: European Union
Website Project: UTILE
This project is funded by the European Union Nº 101121292.
These contents and opinions are the sole responsibility of the author(s), and in no case can be considered as a reflection of the position of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
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R&D AREAS
New high-performance functionalised materials
Circular economy and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing, smart textiles and digitalisation
High value-added solutions for strategic markets
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