* -5FRlGlDAIRE C O M P A N Y E PAUL NASH HILLIARD, OH 6141771-3651 I0127193 Product Development
Abstract Recyclable product development for Frigidaire is a successive process which examines the recyclability of existing products and the recycling of future products. Enhancing product recyclability is the first task so Frigidaire can manufacturer products which are easy to dissassemble after disposal. To begin this phase, we had to assess our current products through tear down analysis. Then, we looked to improve recyclability by consolidating the number of materials, labeling the plastics, and packaging the products properly concerning environmental aspects. These measures were taken while keeping abreast of all legislation concerning appliances. Little emphasis was placed on design modifications in this phase. With product recycling we hope to "close the loop" by using recycled materials in future products. Here we must understand the recyclers infrastructure for the materials we use in manufacturing and work with suppliers of recycled materials to incorporate their materials into our products. Product recycling requires the use of innovative processes so plastics can be used as many times as possible. Finding new applications for the materials of disposed products will be a significant challenge. Finally, we hope to improve product design in order to further enhance product disassembly and realize Green Products for the future. 2
1 '? RECYCLABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OF APPLIANCES (1 ) Title Page Good Morning. My name is Paul Nash and I work for the Frigidaire Company in Hilliard, Ohio. Frigidaire has a technical center in Hilliard called the Development Center which is divided into three segments. It includes Product Development which I am part of doing scientific research, Manufacturing Engineering which centers on manufacturing processes, and Industrial Design which does product styling. Electrolux AB the largest appliance producer globally located in Stockholm, Sweden is the parent company of Frigidaire and this allows for technology transfer between Europe and the US. Today, I am going to discuss the Recvclable Product Development of Appliances. ::I... (2) Product Line Frigidaire's Product Line can be divided into three groups namely Cold, Hot, and Wet Products. Refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioners, and dehumidifiers make up the Cold Products group. As a general rule, each product is made in a separate location. There are specific models for each product. For example, we manufacturer refrigerators in Side-by-Side models and Top-Mount models where the freezer compartment is above the refrigerated area. Typical size ranges from 11 to 28 cubic feet of usable space. 1 will not go into specifics concerning the rest of the products. Ranges and microwaves compose the cooking products or Hot Products Line. Incidentally, Frigidaire is the only major US appliance company to manufacturer its microwaves in the US. The Wet Products Line includes clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and garbage disposers. At our laundry facility we manufacturer standard laundry products as well as all Laundry-Centers in which the dryer sits above the washer for ourselves and our competition. Frigidaire manufacturers appliances for large retailers such as Sears and Montgomery Wards under the private labels Kenmore and Signature, respectively. We also supply product to major discount houses such as Sun TV and Appliances, Circuit City, etc and local appliance stores. Recyclable product development of Cold, Hot, and Wet Products during the 90's is a goal for Frigidaire. (3) Product Brands The Frigidaire Company has five Product Brands which includes Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Tappan, and White-Westinghouse. Brands you will probably see the next 3
' 2 time you are in your kitchen. Even though the Frigidaire name is associated mostly with refrigerators and Tappan is associated mostly with cooking products, the opposite is true in which Tappan Refrigerators and Frigidaire Ranges are manufactured by the Frigidaire Company. In fact, a complete Product Line is manufactured in each of the five Product Brands. Each brand has an individual look and niche market. I hope this is a sufficient introduction to the Frigidaire Company. This morning I will discuss some of the progress we have made to date and where we plan to go in the future concerning Recyclable Product Development. (4) Why Recycle Appliances? There are numerous reasons to recycle appliances, but in the limited time available 1 will discuss only four. First, the Legislative Restrictions have affected the appliance industry and we expect more restrictions in the future. To date, 17 states have appliance landfill regulations which prevent disposing of them as is, in landfills. In some states the chloroflorocarbons or CFC's and harmful components must be removed and in others the product must be completely shredded. For states with appliance landfill restrictions, clandestine dumping and transportation out of state occur often. Environmental Pressure includes a reduction and eventual elimination in the use of CFC's as a refrigerant and blowing agent. Also, heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury have restricted use in appliance manufacturing. Heavy metals are present in many applications including witches, solder, plated parts, plastics, metals, and paints. Eliminating and/or reducing their concentration to acceptable levels is an ongoing challenge for Frigidaire and the companies it associates with. Frigidaire is interested in Recyclable Product Development because it will enhance our Green Image and It Is Possible. We only need the time to develop these products, the prevention of unrealistic restrictions from outside groups, and customers who will buy Green Products at a fair price. (5) Recycling Rate of Major Appliances Since there are some incentives to recycle as discussed above, it is not surprising that the recycling rate of major appliances has increased over the last 15 years. The bar graph shows the percentage of material which was recycled in appliances between 1975 and 1990. The data is part of the 1992 EPA study called the Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the US. The recycled material content has increased from below 5% in 1980 to above 30% in 1990. It is important to realize the data reflects material is being recycled from discarded appliances, even 4
3 '."I.-- though the data does not indicate the recycling rates of different materials. When considering the two main types of materials most commonly used in appliances, metals and plastics, their current recycling rates are very different. Metals such as steel, aluminum, and copper are relatively easy to separate, reprocess, and resell. Currently, all metals contain a significant recycled content. The infrastructure for metal recycling has been in place for many years making these materials highly desirable for Green Products. Therefore, the 32.4% recycled material of 1990 shown in the bar graph is almost completely due to metal recycling. Unfortunately, the ability to separate, reprocess, and resell plastics is not up to par. There are no "plastic magnets" to ease plastic separation. One might be tempted to suggest making appliances out of metals and neglecting plastics altogether. This suggestion is not realistic in the real world of manufacturing because plastics have specific characteristics which make them far superior in certain applications. Therefore, plastics will always be needed in appliances and this can be confirmed by the increase in their use in all durable goods. In fact, the average 1970 car had 75% steel and 8-10% plastic, while the average 1991 car was 68% steel and 26% plastic. In 21 years, the steel content has decreased in cars by 7% while the plastics content has increased by more than 15%. It is our goal at Frigidaire to continue to use plastics as well as metals and to work with the plastic industry to develop its oncoming recycling infrastructure. (6) Manufacturing Goals The manufacturing goals shown below we feel can best be tackled as successive processes in which Product Recyclability of existing products is enhanced and then the Product Recycling of future products can be accomplished. The key areas of interest during the Product Recyclability phase include packaging, recyclable assessment, consolidation, and labeling. The work centers around the manufacturer in which the goal is to make existing products more recyclable. In this case, the specifics of who will do the recycling is not addressed. The second phase is to become involved in the Product Recycling loop through interaction with suppliers and recyclers to (1) put recycled materials in our products and (2) find future uses for the materials in our disposed products. It will take the aggressive effort of suppliers, manufacturers, consumers, and recyclers to develop appliance recycling and the plastics recycling infrastructure for the future. (7) Packaging Materials 5
4 A good place to start for a company who desires to enhance its product's recyclability is to examine its packaging. A working definition of packaging might include materials thrown away after a customer puts into use the product which he purchased. It includes internal packaging which protects materials, parts, and components brought into the manufacturing facility. And external packaging which is used to communicate with potential customers and protect the finished product. The three main Packaging Materials at Frigidaire include Cardboard, Metal, and Plastics. Boxes and cornerposts are made of card board. Cornerposts strengthen the corners and edges of the boxes to assist in handling and distribution. Secondly, straps and staples are made of metals. Metal straps allow a forklift to easily move product from one area to another. Finally, foam, films, and tapes are made of plastics. After examining the packaging systems of Frigidaire products manufactured at various locations, a few guidelines were suggested to enhance their recyclability. (8) Green Packaging Recommendations First of all, No Bleached Boxes should be used because the bleaching process weakens the paper fibers and many times uses solvents which must be properly disposed. Adhesives and inks are the next area of interest. Adhesives are used to assemble cardboard boxes and on the various forms of fastening tape. In these cases, the suggestion is to require water-based adhesives as opposed to solvent based adhesives which can be more environmentally harmful. Similar concerns exists with inks so soy-based inks are preferred for all printing applications, which would replace the potentially harmful heavy metals used in current printing inks. When considering plastics used in packaging, the two suggestion to enhance recyclability include using CFC Free EPS or expanded polystyrene and Labeling Plastics for separation after disposal. CFC's are commonly used as blowing agents for many foams and replacement with HCFC's or other more friendly blowing agents should be done. Labeling of plastics packaging using something similar to the Society of Plastic institute and Plastic Bottle industry or SPVPBl "following arrows" one through seven system will allow the plastics from durables to be handled in the same way as the waste packaging from the container industry. Using the exact system of SPVPBI is a possibility with permission. Another suggestion was to eliminate the fastening of different materials with adhesives. For example, it was found that foam and cardboard were fastened together in certain applications and this should not be done to ease the separation and recovery of disposed materials. The last three recommendations are much more general and require participation from outside 6
5 the manufacturing facility. Closing the Loop occurs when discarded packaging IS reprocessed for use in a second application. The application may be the same in which polystyrene foam is reprocessed into foam or a totally different use may occur for the recycled material. As a manufacturer, we would be doing our part if we were to Buy Recycled materials and we selected Green Suppliers based on their ability to enhance recyclable product development in addition to the common interests of price, quality, delivery dates, etc. (9) Recyclable Assessment After a company has implemented its packaging recommendations, the next area of focus should be the Recyclable Assessment of the product. The goal here is to understand how recyclable is the current product so a future strategy can be outlined. The best way to assess recyclability is through Teardown Analysis followed by an Improvement Strategy. Teardowns of current and competitors products are very common and should be done only this time with the emphasis on making the product more recyclable. I"">... (1 0) Data Analysis A teardown can provide a wealth of information for a manufacturer. A few key items to know for each Part Number includes Part Cost, Material Type, and the Supply Line as the material goes from maker, to processor, to assembler. This information will be useful for consolidation of materials, labeling of plastics, product design, and qualifying Green Suppliers. An improvement strategy can be decided to enhance recyclability once sufficient information is known about the product. (1 1) Consolidation Consolidation simply means making the same product by purchasing higher volumes of fewer materials from fewer vendors. For the most part, the total volume of materials purchased will not change. The two key areas to consolidate are the Supply Line and the Product. When consolidating the supply line, the number of Suppliers and Processors are examined. I refer to suppliers as people who provide raw materials which can be passed onto processors who shape these materials into usable parts for assembly. For any given material or part choice, competition should exist in which prices and transportation charges should be known and used to consolidate the supply line. The specific number of suppliers and processors should be left to the company's preference. Product consolidation can include all materials, 7
6 but usually centers around plastics. Here, the idea is to consolidate the plastics used in a product in the sequence of Grades, Materials, and Parts. Grade consolidation, for example, might include reducing the different types of polypropylene in a dishwasher from seven to two. The two remaining grades could be a standard injection molding grade and a high heat grade. It should occur first since it is usually done with minimal costs due to tooling modifications. Material consolidation is another means to enhance a products recyclability. It might include reducing the number of plastics in a refrigerator from fifteen to four. In this case, there might be costs associated with tooling changes, yet the benefits include higher purchase volumes and lower costs. Part consolidation or reducing the number of parts in a product is probably the most challenging of the three and should be handled by the Engineering Department. It should be an interest for every manufacturer to reduce the number of parts; say from 200 to 150. If the goal of the company is to enhance product recyclability, then a significant reduction in the number of parts, materials, and grades in a product is a step in the right direction and can be done at a cost savings. Consolidation will make disassembly easier after product disposal. (1 2) Plastic Labeling By now, Plastic Labeling is a familiar concept for most people. Therefore, I will only discuss some of the challenges that we faced at Frigidaire. Material Identification was our first dilemma. How specific should the label be? For example, I can describe five different ways to label the same material which is used to make an actual part for Frigidaire. Polypropylene is the main polymer and is commonly abbreviated PP. Is this enough? Actually, the material is a copolymer in which polyethylene is added to improve impact strength. The third label reveals that the fillers calcium carbonate which is abbreviated CC and talc which is abbreviated T are added to improve material stiff ness. Flame retardants are used in the formulation and this can be abbreviated FR as shown in the next label. Flame retardants should be specified when they are incorporated into plastics since they can hinder the performance of recycled polymers. This can occur even if only one plastic is recovered. FR polystyrene will degrade standard polystyrene when reprocessed. The last label is a means of identifying specific quantities of each component in the formulation. Will plastic labeling ever require this much detail? Obviously, the details of material identification must be considered when labeling plastics. Another challenge which we faced was choosing what system to use for our labeling. Plastic packaging could be labeled with the same or a different system than used for plastic parts. For 8
7 3 example, the SPVPBI system for beverage containers might be considered for other industries such as appliance packaging. The three main systems for parts markings are offered by ASTM, 1.50, and SAE. Appliance packaging could be labeled using one of these systems. There are subtle differences between each system, but for the most part, the polymer abbreviations are identical for a given material. The final challenge for the labeling of plastics at Frigidaire was the Implementation Costs. Mold Changes and Processor Participation are ongoing and required so Frigidaire can sell product which contains easily identifiable plastics after their disposal. ':I... (1 3) Product Recycling-Closing the Loop At Frigidaire, we are in the process of finishing our product recyclability improvements. The next step is to implement Product Recycling so the materials from disposed products can be reprocessed and resold for future use. Key players in a typical "cradle to grave" product chain are listed which include Suppliers, Processors, Manufacturers, Consumers, Dismantlers, and Shredders. Here, we want to Close the Loop and expect consumers to do their part by turning in unwanted appliances and accepting recycled plastics in new products sold. The dismantlers will have to be able to quickly remove valuable materials and components and then deliver the appliance carcasses to the shredder. Appliance dismantling is being done in about ten locations in North America through the company ARCA which stands for the Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. Currently, they pickup unwanted appliances and recover valuable components and CFC's. ARCA is also investigating the potential to cost effectively recover plastics. This would also benefit the shredder industry since plastics typically go into their fluff pile. If every one does his part, the appliance recycling infrastructure will continue to grow similar to the auto industry. (14) Appliance Recycling Chokepoints Though product recycling may sound like a good idea, it will not occur without extensive effort. There are many hurdles to jump, and I have listed a few. I think the most important issue as stated above is to develop the appliance recycling infrastructure. This will probably occur quickest if we can develop recycling techniques for the materials used by the appliance industry. Learning to recycle all materials, I feel is better than trying to exclude the best performing material for a given application. Therefore, we must develop the Plastics recycling infrastructure. Also, we must find alternative uses for Thermosets which cannot be reshaped upon 9
8 heating. Components such as motors, compressors, and timers could become more recyclable if there was an effort to consolidate the materials. Up to now, I do not think the industry designs components with recycling in mind. Mindsets have to change! Finally, the key for manufacturers is to Design product which are suited for Disassembly. When this occurs, recyclers will desire your companies products and product recycling will become a reality. Thank You 10
H FRlGl DAlRE 4 C O M P A N Y D PRODUCTS REFRIGERATORS FREEZERS ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS DEHUMIDIFIERS HOT PRODUCTS RANGES MICROWAVES WET P RODUCTS CLOTHES WASHERS CLOTHES DRYERS DISHWASHERS DISPOSERS - C Product Development 11
r H FRI GI DAI RE C O M P A N Y 1 FRIGIDAIRE GIBSON KELVINATOR TAPPAN WHITE-WESTINGHOUSE 12 Product Development i I I
C O M P A N Y LEGISLATIVE RESTRICTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURE GREEN IMAGE ITS POSSIBLE - Product 1 13 Development
RECYCLING RATE OF MAJOR APPLIANCES 40.0% 1 1 Yo RECYCLED 30.0% - 20.0% - 10.0% - o.o./o 1975 1980 1985 1990
3 phfwrgldaire C O M P A N Y PRODUCT RECYCLABILITY PRODUCT RECYCLING Product 1 15 Development
f H FRlGl DAIRE C O M P A N Y b PACKAGONG MAUOROALO CARDBOARD BOXES AND CORNERPOSTS Q METAL STRAPS AND STAPLES Q PLASTIC FOAM, FILM, AND TAPE - Product Development
3.._.. 4FRlGlDAIRE C O M P A N Y NO BLEACHED BOXES ADHESIVES AND INKS /"I '... CFC FREE EPS LABEL PLASTICS SEPARABLE MATERIALS CLOSE THE LOOP BUY RECYCLED GREEN SUPPLIERS 17 Product 1 Development
W FRlGl DAlRE I C O M P A N Y I TEARDOWN ANALYSIS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY b Product - 18 Development
PHFRIGIDAIRE C O M P A N Y I PART NUMBER PART COST MATERIAL. SUPPLY LINE Product 1 19 Development
C O M P A N Y I SUPPLY LINE SUPPLIERS PROCESSORS PRODUCT GRADES MATERIALS PARTS 20 nl,9..-a rruuuu I Development
*MFRIGIDAIRE C O M P A N Y MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION PP PP + PE PP + PE + CC + T PP + PE + CC + T + FR 95 PP + 5 PE + 20 CC + 5 T + FR SYSTEM USED PACKAGING PARTS IMPLEMENTATION COSTS MOLD CHANGES PROCESSOR PARTICIPATION 21 - Product Development
H FRIGIDAIRE I C O M P A N Y SUPPLIERS PROCESSORS MANUFACTURERS CONSUMERS 0 DISMANTLERS SHREDDERS 22 Product Development \ I Ab
VHFRIGIDAIRE 1 C O M P A N Y NO INFRASTRUCTURE PLASTICS THERMOSETS COMPONENTS DESIGN & DISASSEMBLY Product 1 Development
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