Design for Recyclability: Electrical and Electronic Equipment
摘要
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are part of the modern lifestyle and will constitute an elementary building block for the transition to a Circular Economy. At the same time, these devices come with a significant environmental impact that needs to be reduced to a minimum through intelligent design, sustainable use, and full material recovery at the end of life. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is still a big challenge in the EU and on the global level with absolute and relative numbers rising every year. While the main economic driver for WEEE recycling stems from the recovery of metals, the devices also contain a significant share of plastics that needs to be recovered. WEEE plastics recycling is complex, as the Electronics Shredder Residue is composed of a diverse mix of different polymers and contaminants. Here, product designers have an important role to play when it comes to improving the yield of WEEE plastics recyclers through initial design that takes into account end-of-life considerations. This chapter has the goal to provide some practical elements for better recyclability of EEE. It provides a brief introduction into the importance of EEE within the Circular Economy and the challenges of WEEE plastics. Furthermore, it highlights the current state of the art of WEEE plastics recycling and existing challenges. Finally, the chapter also lists some guidelines that can be followed by designers to remove some of the existing barriers toward better recyclability of their devices.