Business case Roteb : recovery strategies for monitors

Due to the introduction of extended producer responsibility, Original Equipment Manufacturers are forced to set up a reverse logistic system for their 'own' discarded products. As part of this set-up, they have to determine strategies for the recovery of these products. In some of our previous works, we have described OR-optimisation models that give decision support in determining optimal recovery strategies for durable assembly products. This comes down to determining an optimal degree of disassembly and assigning optimal recovery and disposal options. In our approach, a recovery strategy is determined in advance of actual take-back, because it serves as a basis for tactical management problems such as logistic network design, anticipating to legislation, making buy-back agreements with suppliers etc. In this paper, the theoretical models are applied in a business case concerning the recycling of pc-monitors. The aim is twofold: on the one hand optimal strategies are determined for the problem owner (Roteb) and on the other hand the practical applicability of the models was evaluated. key words: reverse logistics, recovery strategies, durable assembly products, case study