Bosch Power Tools Boost Circular Economy

Bosch has demonstrated how recycled plastics ban be reused in technical applications through the application of plastic from old devices in the housing of its UniversalImpact 800 impact drill. This special Closed-Loop Edition features an impressive 78 % recycled housing material.

The technical plastics in these devices – special plastics with properties, such as being especially durable or resistant – are currently mostly incinerated rather than recycled. These plastics are often stronger and more durable than other plastics and are therefore primarily used in machines, cars, or electronic devices.

However, because adapting established recycling processes to the specific requirements of technical plastics is very complex and thus far not economical, the focus in the recycling chain currently lies heavily on recovering metals.

Typically, a large proportion of the CO₂ emissions from power tools comes from the materials used in production. Bosch recognized the potential here to reduce its own CO₂ footprint and had the vision to develop a material cycle for technical plastics from power tools, thereby showing the way for the circular economy in power tools. "With this project, we are demonstrating that we can indeed circulate technical plastic. The project targets several key areas of our sustainability strategy: responsible material use, circularity, and CO₂ reduction

Image: Bosch

Recycling without compromise

The biggest challenge of the project was ensuring material quality. Power tools require plastics that can withstand both changing thermal stresses and impact loads occurring during drop tests. Plastics that are currently typically recycled often cannot meet these requirements or are not available in the necessary quality and color on the market. The goal of the pilot project was therefore to produce a special edition of the UniversalImpact 800 impact drill, whose housing* consists of the largest possible proportion of recycled technical plastic from old devices, without compromising on appearance, feel, and the well-known Bosch quality. In addition, the recyclate should be seamlessly integrated into regular production lines, as Bosch had a regular production under normal industrial conditions in mind from the beginning. "The challenge was to achieve a series production quality for our special edition based on old devices – this was completely new territory, without established standards or years of practical experience," explains Thomas Hampel, Sustainability Expert at Bosch Power Tools.

Extensive database paves the way

To overcome all challenges, Bosch adopted a multi-stage approach. An initial feasibility study illuminated the technical viability and initial economic framework conditions. The focus was placed on the availability of target plastics, such as polyamide (PA) 6, in sufficient quantity and quality. For this feasibility study, several thousand discarded power tools were collected, disassembled, and comprehensively analyzed. This generated over half a million data points, which were recorded in a database. This data-driven pre-sorting ensured that only technically suitable and legally approved plastics were used for subsequent steps.

Innovative recycling process

For the special edition of the UniversalImpact 800, an innovative recycling process was then developed based on the insights from the feasibility study. Leveraging this study, old electrical appliances were collected, pre-sorted, and processed to ultimately produce a small-volume pilot product at the end of the cycle, one that meets the high standards of a Bosch power tool. "In fact, we were able to process the material directly without additives or additional glass fibers," comments Thomas Hampel, adding, "The glass-fiber reinforced plastic obtained in this way meets all the quality requirements that we also demand of new material."