Environmental compatibility of electronics - a key towards local and global sustainable development

Abstract

At first a short outline is given on how certain technology and product developments in the electronics industry are influencing social life, markets and the environment simultaneously in a positive and negative way, depending on the perspective we take. It will be shown for instance that an increase in efficiency (energy or resources) of a single product is misleading and that efficiency has to be evaluated by the overall production, distribution and anticipated use of that product in order to focus on sustainability. A life cycle perspective and active measures for ecodesign are the foremost important and politically required tasks in the coming years. The motivation and measures taken in that respect are varying in different regions of the world. New requirements for product integrated ecodesign will by set by the EuP directive currently under development in the European Union. Finally an integrated approach to a fast environmental assessment of an electronic product by the IZM/EE-Toolbox and the usage of such an evaluation for further product optimization is presented Becoming aware of the environmental impact of a product over the whole product life cycle - production, distribution, use as well as take back and recycling - is the first step to sustainable development. This is especially important due to the fact that an electronic product is designed and used equally all over the world.