Page 28 from: April 2013

28 April 2013

M A R K E T I N G S C R A P P L A S T I C S By Manfred Beck

‘We are targeting sustainability leader-ship in the appliance industry,’
according to Cecilia Nord, director responsible

for sourcing at Electrolux, a global leader in

home appliances and appliances for profes-

sional use. Speaking at the recent Internation-

al Electronics Recycling Congress in the Aus-

trian city of Salzburg, Nord presented details

of the group’s ‘Vac from the Sea’ project, which

has met its aim of using more recycled mate-

rial in consumer products. ‘A mental step-

change for consumers and companies alike,’ as

she described it.

The project began in 2010 when Electrolux

launched an entire range of ‘green’ AEG vacuum

cleaners made from up to 70% recycled plastics.

‘We wanted to address two main environmental

challenges: the current poor management of

plastics and the lack of recycling,’ Nord

explained. ‘We want to be engaged in society and

promote a stakeholder dialogue and partner-

ships throughout the value chain. Our vision

was to raise awareness of environmental issues,

stimulate greater supply of plastics and show

the potential use, and to boost the distribution

and sales of green home appliance products.’

Shredded cars
A press release at the launch in 2009 of the com-

pany’s Ultra Silencer Green vacuum cleaners

was headlined ‘My other vacuum cleaner is

(still) a Porsche’, and the sub-head was ‘Shred-

ded cars are the raw material for the newest

Ultra Silencer vacuum cleaner from Electrolux’.

According to the company, car recycling yields

not only steel, aluminium and copper but also

a great deal of plastic in everything from bat-

teries to bumpers. The body of these Ultra

Silencer Green cleaners is made from 55% recy-

cled polypropylene (PP) which saves two litres

of crude oil and 80 litres of water per unit. This

means a reduction in energy consumption of

90% during manufacturing when compared to

making the same components from virgin plas-

tics. ‘If all 20 million vacuum cleaners sold

annually in Europe were built in the same way,

we could save up to 251 000 barrels of oil and

1.6 million cubic metres of water,’ said Eliza-

beth Farmer, product marketing manager of

Floorcare UK, at the start of the campaign.

Choosing the source for the material was one

of the most difficult obstacles in the path of

developing the Ultra Silencer Green because

every type of recycled plastic had to be tested

for quality and durability for the relevant com-

In recent times, leading home appliance manufacturer Electrolux has gained huge recognition for

its efforts not only to increase the use of recycled materials in its products but also to ensure that

major environmental issues are picked up on the world media’s radar screen. The Swedish group

explained its aims and motivations at the latest International Electronics Recycling Congress.

Electrolux’s ‘Vac from the Sea’ recycled plastics project

Riding the media wave

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