Challenges for Urban Reverse Logistics of PU Foam from End-of-Life Refrigerators in Three European Countries’ Regions. Perspective of Various Stakeholders

Environmental concerns and urbanization pressures are driving demand for more efficient reverse logistics in city environments, where space constraints and dense populations create unique challenges. Polyurethanes (PU), used widely in insulation, electronics, and automotive industries, are integral to circular supply chain discussions due to their low recycling rates. This study emphasizes the challenges of urban reverse logistics for the disposal and collection of refrigerators in countries with different waste management systems. In the paper qualitative and quantitative methods have been applied. Based on the research carried out, it was shown how complex the reverse logistics process is in the city concerning waste such as fridges. It is influenced by, among other things, regulations at EU and national level, cooperation between stakeholders, consumer awareness and education, and real-time access to information on waste.