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This paper discusses a method to quantitatively evaluate the importance of functional and visual design. Using smartphones as a case study, the paper proposes a procedure to evaluate both functional and visual design. The paper applies pair comparison to know the relative importance of 4 visual design specifications that are “color,” “texture,” “thickness” and “customizability” which means variety...
This paper presents a general overview of WEEE and value considerations (both real and potential) as well as the specific results of a research project analysing the performance of EPR systems for lighting products, with particular focus on closing material loops. The research is based on a literature review, case studies, and interviews with key stakeholders. The case of recovery of rare earths elements...
This article explores sustainability issues concerning tin, one of the crucial soldering materials in the global IT industry. In addition to the potential negative social and environmental impacts of tin production, this article assesses initiatives that have emerged as a response to growing pressures on mining companies and producers to address these issues. In the following analysis, issues pertaining...
Current technologies for recycling plastics from WEEE separate non-flame retarded types of ABS, PS and PP from a mixed plastic stream, which contains halogens and legacy additives like PBDE and is intended to be incinerated. As an innovative alternative treatment route, we investigated whether this by-product may be used as a source of plastics, bromine and the synergist antimony trioxide (Sb2O3)...
In 2014, the European Union defined a list of 20 raw materials critical for economic importance and high supply risk. The aim of this work is to present the main results achieved within the EU-FP7 Project HydroWEEE-Demo dealing with the recovery of indium and cobalt, metals included in such European list, from LCD scraps and end of life Li-ion batteries, respectively. A complete indium recovery was...
Product Policy can contribute considerably towards reaching the goals of resource policy. Foremost contributions to resource efficiency can be expected by improved durability and recyclability of products or components. With regard to circular economy, specifically the recycling of precious and special metals and of plastics from waste of electrical and electronic equipment is an unresolved challenge...
When introducing LEDs in automotive lighting, the first achieved benefit was the reduction of the power consumption combined with an extended lifetime. Nevertheless, with the maturity level the technology tends to reach and the growing importance of the lighting design in the automotive market, electronic designers must deal with more important constraints, that in turns lead to higher driving current,...
Sustainability has become a ubiquitous requirement, driven by global warming and resource scarcity. For Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) and other telecommunications equipment, the by far most-relevant environmental aspect is in-service energy consumption (CO2), which is only then followed by resources usage during production (raw material, energy, CO2), all transportation (CO2), and recycling...
The advancing digitization of all areas of the economy and society is generating significantly increasing demand for processing power. More and more data centers of ever larger size are being built worldwide, and their electricity consumption is constantly on the rise. Forecasts project a significant increase in the global electricity consumption of data centers in the next five years. The presentation...
As the “moral ID-Card” of an organization, the Corporate Social Responsibility report is maturing and stands today as one of its key standard documents. Much has changed about it. Its mission, language, dimensions, images, metrics, drivers, all bear witness to how the CSR is moving to reflect not only the evolving value set of the organization but also that of its audience, namely society as a whole...
Until January 2015, industry had applied for the continuation of more than 30 exemptions listed in Annex III of Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS Directive), which otherwise would have expired in July 2016. These exemptions allow the use of substances which the RoHS Directive restricts, among others highly important exemptions like the use of cadmium in electrical contacts, mercury in compact fluorescent...
This paper focuses on the investigation of a business model in the BoP markets. Combing the scenario analysis, the life cycle assessment is conducted in the study. After the simulation, the results indicate that the major contributors of environmental impacts are use (75.6%) and disposal of (24.2%) stages. The contribution of transportation and collection stages is less than 0.2%. The Fossil fuel...
Waste printed circuit boards(PCB) is a typical electronic waste, which contains a variety of metals and non-metal, if they are disposed improperly, not only will cause loss of resources, but also harmful to environment and human health. Microbial technology is applied to the extraction of metals from electronic waste because of its environmental friendly features. Bioleaching metals from gantry pylons,...
This paper draws attention to unintended releases of chemical substances from solid materials and their impact on the human body and the environment in general. For example, such Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) include heavy metals, light metals, plasticisers and flame retardants. Specifically, the article focuses on releases associated with solid materials in electric/electronic (E/E) industries,...
The medical sector has requested an exemption from the substance restrictions of Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 2) for refurbished devices. Through global refurbishment practices, many of the larger medical devices are collected, refurbished and then resold to new end-users. Such practices are particularly of interest at present, in light of their contribution to the circular economy. Refurbishment prolongs...
Developing a reliable forecasting process is a crucial step for optimization of the overall planning process of product remanufacturing. This study examined the effectiveness of demand forecasting in remanufacturing by time series analysis (Holt-Winters model), product lifetime model (Weibull distribution), and incorporation of the two methods. To verify the effectiveness, the actual data of the time...
This paper will focus on a re-design process of a digital voice recorder in order to foster the reparability and to improve the reusability of parts, components, modules or the whole product. The purpose of the developed process and its application is not only to reduce the environmental impact but also to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing circular economy design aspects combined with an...
Based on the data of a recent study, the paper will show and analyse the factors that contribute to the fast improvement of energy efficiency of ICT end-user devices over the past years. The main purpose of the paper is to outline future developments and challenges with respect to the further improvement of energy efficiency in the field of end-user devices. In the paper the authors will argue that...
The serious subject of agriculture of Japan is reduction and aging of farmer population. Moreover, the increase in an abandoned cultivated land and decline in a food self-sufficiency ratio are also problems. A plant factory may lead to these problem solving. However, the profitability is not securable in many plant factories. The cause is mainly in a large amount of initial investment and a lot of...
The product-related assessment of progress towards crucial environmental aspects is important to steer the process of eco-innovation. Indicators must be simple and easy to apply, but they must give reliably information about the status and condition of a system to the involved stakeholders. Indicators must hence be selected aspects from a complex system. The forthcoming paper addresses this demands...
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