Used products return service based on ambient recommender systems to promote sustainable choices

Studies by the U.S. Academy of National Engineering show that in the United States, 93% of exploited resources are never transformed into final products, 80% of all products are one-way products, and 99% of the material contents of goods become waste within 6 weeks [1]. In addition to poor resource productivity, end-of-life (EoL) products, for example, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), end-of-life vehicle (ELV) and end-of-life tyres (ELT), have become a major environmental problem in the world. For example, in Europe alone, the annual volume of WEEE generated is estimated to be around 6-7 million tons per year [2] and is expected to rise to 95 million tons in 2010 all over the world if current development trends persist [3]. Meanwhile, every year, approximately 800 million scrap tyres are disposed around the globe. This amount is expected to increase by approximately 2% every year [4]. Their hazardous contents put human health at risk and pollute the earth. This fact triggers the awareness of environmentally conscious societies to manage an effective product recovery process.