The electronics industry, and the products it supplies, is one of the most important industries of our time. Both its significance and rapid increase in the number of products are growing, and the impact the industry has on our environment grows with it.

 

• Approx. 2 Mio. t/yr of electronics scrap (Germany, 2000), 7-10 Mio. t/yr (Europe, 2000) and estimated disposal costs  of approx.  5 Bio. ?/yr.
• An annual increase of 5-10% is forecasted and has been widely confirmed.
• Shorter innovation cycles and miniaturisation call for adaptable disposal methods.
• The material compounds of electronic products are

 very heterogeneous (hazardous substances, potentially recyclable  materials, organic materials, metals)

 often branded with general properties due to the small quantities of each compound

 often binded non-detachably

• he industry is characterised by its complex chains of economic added value in the product manufacture and is thereby interconnected with a multitude of contributing parties.

• New directives, such as the WEEE and ROHS enforce the call for action.

 

The points above identify a greater need for ecological-economic-technical analysis of product design and disposal alternatives. The (difficult to co-ordinate) structures of the supply chain call for sophisticated communication to ensure the involvement of all parties.