Aplikace principů cirkulární ekonomiky na proces vyřazování a recyklace technických zařízení

This master’s thesis focuses on the evaluation of the dismantling and recycling process of decommissioned technical equipment in the context of circular economy principles. The aim of the thesis is to comprehensively assess material flows, economic performance, and environmental benefits of a real-world project and to examine the level of circularity that can be achieved in practice for complex technical systems. Methodologically, the thesis is based on a case study combining a detailed material balance, an economic assessment of the project, and an environmental analysis conducted using the avoided burden approach. Environmental benefits are quantified through greenhouse gas emission savings achieved by substituting primary material production with secondary production, with emission factors derived from the Ecoinvent database. The results indicate that the analysed case study achieves a high level of material utilization; however, the share of ferrous metals in the total mass of the equipment does not meet the assumption formulated in the first hypothesis, reflecting the structural complexity of the equipment and the generation of heterogeneous material flows. In contrast, the environmental analysis confirms the second hypothesis, as the average greenhouse gas emission savings exceed the defined reference value. The thesis contributes to a realistic understanding of the possibilities and limitations of implementing circular economy principles in industrial practice and provides insights relevant to industrial companies, recycling operators, and the broader expert discussion on material flow management.