The role of product design in advancing the circular economy of electric and electronic equipment

Abstract

Circular economy (CE) processes, such as reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, play a significant role in reducing the environmental impacts of modern manufacturing industries. However, electric and electronic equipment (EEE) is still often designed to function for a short usable life after which it is discarded. Furthermore, the current relatively low price and high availability of virgin raw materials, compared to those of recycled materials, decrease the financial viability of recycling. This study conducts a systematic literature review on product design-related issues in the CE of EEE and induces a novel model of product design considerations for the CE of EEE. The aim is to identify design traits that are hindering the CE of EEE and what measures can be taken in the product development phase to create EEE compatible with CE. This study points out general issues in the disassemblability and recyclability of EEE, as well as a recurring theme of conflicting design needs between different CE processes. Furthermore, the minimum entropy product design priority model is introduced as the novel contribution of this study to highlight the dependency between technological maturity, expected product lifespan, and suitable CE processes.