Used electronic devices are sent to recycling centers.
Upon arrival, they undergo a thorough inspection.
If they can be repaired, they get a new lease on life under the Second Life program, where they are sold as second-hand devices on those markets where the program has already been implemented.
Devices that cannot be fixed are disassembled into components made from the same materials, such as plastic, printed circuit boards, batteries, and metals, and are recycled.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia joined the global project PMI CIRCLE (Central Inspection and Recycling for a Closed Loop Economy) already in 2019.[1]
The CIRCLE project relies on reverse logistics and recycling centers.
It allows for the regeneration and recycling of a significantly higher quantity of materials than would be possible by recycling devices through standard electronic waste processing channels.
Apart from that, inspecting and recycling returned products allows us to improve the design and quality of new products, because information about the materials is incorporated into the product development process.
[1] The project consists of recycling IQOS electronic devices (including lil SOLID) intended for tobacco heating, as well as IQOS VEEV e-cigarettes.
These devices are distributed, but not manufactured, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
We are dedicated to increasing the quantity of recycled devices.