Advanced End-of-Life Management at GEA
The end of a machine's lifecycle does not signify the end of its utility. With thoughtful end-of-life management, companies not only enhance their environmental footprint but also make a significant contribution to the circular economy. A strategic approach gives decommissioned machines and their parts new value.
End-of-Life Management: A key to circular economy
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution — these symptoms of reckless resource use highlight the urgency of rethinking our general way of resource consumption. Circular approaches offer an important opportunity to bring production and consumption processes back into a planetary balance of creation, reuse, and renewal. A fundamental shift in thinking is necessary to drive systemic changes.
GEA's end-of-life (EOL) management is based on the principles of the circular economy and encompasses reduction, reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling. By focusing on both processes and business models that promote sustainable practices, the company aligns its entire value chain to extend product lifecycles and reduce the consumption of primary raw materials. By implementing circular strategies such as maintenance, upgrading, repairs, and recycling, and by concentrating on circular product design, GEA transforms traditional linear value creation processes into a cradle-to-cradle principle.
Implementation of End-of-Life Management
GEA employs a structured approach for successful end-of-life management, starting with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of machines by type, value, weight, and performance. Based on this, the most suitable disposal or recycling methods are selected, depending on the condition and value of the machine:
- Parts Repair or Reuse: Appropriate parts are checked for reuse and, if suitable for repair and reconditioning, are selected and then labeled.
- Product Repair or Reuse: Some machines may be suitable for a second life after repair and refurbishment. These machines are delivered and put back into operation after refurbishment.
- Recycling: Machines that can no longer be repaired or reused are recycled. This includes documenting the end-of-life status of the machine as well as the recycling process itself.
Customer benefits of effective End-of-Life Management
Effective end-of-life management is crucial to promoting a sustainable circular economy and providing customers with added value through longer usage periods and better resource utilization. GEA focuses on continuous improvement and innovative strategies to achieve both ecological and economic goals.
The documentation and traceability of all steps make the disposal or reuse of machines transparent. This ensures compliance with legal regulations and standards and reduces the risk of environmental impacts. Effective EOL management ensures that parts leaving the cycle meet a quality standard and that this is traceably documented.
Successful examples in practice
GEA has already launched several initiatives to implement end-of-life management that benefit both customers and the environment:
GEA Division Separation & Flow Technologies
"Hero for Hero" Initiative
Since 2022, GEA has implemented a promising circular economy project with the "Hero for Hero" initiative. GEA offers to buy back separators and decanters older than 20 years and exchange them for more efficient models. This is a genuine win-win-win situation, as customers, GEA, and especially the environment benefit. While customers produce more resource-efficiently with a new, more efficient machine, GEA takes over the old machines into the EOL management process. It is then determined whether they can be refurbished as replacement or used machines, whether they are disassembled and used as spare parts, or whether they are scrapped and the material fed into new production. In individual cases, even foreign-made products are accepted.
In addition to the exchange action, condition monitoring offers customers an added benefit for new machines. This control function ensures that the machines independently indicate when service and maintenance work is due, preventing wear from leading to expensive and material-intensive repairs.
"With the 'Hero for Hero' initiative, our customers can return old separators and decanters and exchange them for more efficient models. The customer receives this service from a single source – and we simultaneously contribute to the circular economy."
Stefan Pecoroni,Vice President Sustainability, Process Technology & Innovation, SFT
GEA Division Farm Technologies
A second life for the Dairy Robot
In the Farm Technology division, GEA is also successfully implementing measures for end-of-life management. The ,Dairy Service 2nd Life ‘ initiative focuses on the reuse of systems such as the milking robot or individual components such as the TOF camera for teat detection.
For the Dairy Robot, old machines are refurbished and reintroduced to the market as used machines. GEA dealers buy the used milking robots from customers, which are then overhauled in GEA's refurbishment centers. Currently, GEA operates two such refurbishment centers in the Netherlands and the UK, with more to follow. With its own infrastructure, GEA can independently refurbish and ensure the highest quality of its used machines. Typically, GEA initiates the refurbishment, but customers are increasingly requesting this option to extend the life of their existing systems. For the distribution of used machines, GEA has developed its own digital sales platform. On this platform, GEA dealers can connect with each other, offer, and trade used machines. In the future, this digital platform is planned to be made accessible to external dealers worldwide.
In the USA, the Farm Technologies division is running a program to replace (old) built-in cameras with a new generation. The old camera modules are reconditioned in Bönen, Germany. These are then returned to the market as used products.
"With our ,Dairy Service 2nd Life ‘ initiative we take back old systems from the field, refurbish them and put them back on the market as used systems. This can significantly extend the lifespan of our milking robot. By refurbishing and selling a used DairyRobot, we provide our customers with a cost-effective alternative to make their operations more efficient."
Christian Müller, Senior Director Sustainability, Farm Technologies
95 Percent reusable
Up to 95% of GEA products and parts can be reused or recycled. The majority of our products and parts are made of recyclable and valuable materials such as stainless steel. Therefore, organized end-of-life management offers great potential for GEA. It significantly reduces environmental effects, which would otherwise be borne as social costs. It also holds economic potential for new business models that focus on product utility rather than consumption. Part of this utility is the recycling service: return, upgrade, reuse.
Opportunities from managed EOL-strategies:
Environmental aspects:
- Reduce waste through reuse and recycling.
- Conserve natural resources through material recovery.
- Lower the ecological footprint.
Economic aspects:
- Promote resource efficiency and reduce operating costs.
- Save costs through the reuse of materials and components.
- Generate potential revenue from the sale of recycled materials and refurbished machines.
- Lower disposal costs through efficient recycling and reuse processes.
Legal Requirements and Compliance:
- Ensure adherence to legal requirements, support the fulfillment of national and international environmental standards and certifications.
- Promote transparency and traceability.
Risks from unmanaged EOL-strategies
Environmental damages:
- Can cause environmental damage if disposed of improperly.
- Therefore carries the risk of polluting soil and water.
Costs from inefficient management:
- High disposal costs.
- Loss of materials and components that could be reused.
Legal requirements and risks:
- Increasingly stringent laws and regulations.
- Need to consider environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle.
- Risk of sanctions for non-compliance.
GEA focuses on continuous improvement
These strategic measures strengthen GEA's position as a leading company in sustainable technologies and demonstrate the practical implementation of the circular economy in the industry.
