Developing Recyclable Electronic Devices

Written for product developers working on electronic products, this guide supports those who want to design with recycling in mind and make use of recycled plastics in their electronic products — even where technical or aesthetic requirements have traditionally made that difficult.

This book provides a practical framework that helps developers integrate design and recycling from the very beginning of the product development process. By planning design for and from recycling early, end-of-life materials can become valuable resources again, helping to close the material loop. The focus lies on two aspects: the use of recycled plastic content and the recyclability of plastics in electronics. Because there’s no single solution to the challenges of recyclability, the content is structured to help you address the specific issues relevant to your own products. Central to this approach is the INCREACE Recyclability Assessment Tool (RAT), introduced in Chapter 7, which offers hands-on guidance for improving the recyclability of electronic products. The tool is available for download here.