Circular Electronics Initiative encourages awareness of e-waste
More than 20 organisations have come together in a global initiative to tackle the social and environmental problems of electronics. The Circular Electronics Initiative aims to encourage organisations and consumers to take a more responsible approach to the electronic goods they use. One core activity of the initiative is the annual event #CircularElectronicsDay.
The current, linear way of producing and consuming products is ruining fragile ecosystems, causing the loss of valuable natural resources and critical raw materials. In a circular economy, resources are handled more responsibly. The goal of the Circular Electronics Initiative is to create awareness around the need for a longer life for electronic products and greater recirculation of all materials while minimising waste.
“#CircularElectronicsDay has now been running for a few years and has attracted a lot of attention, and we feel that more can be done,” explains Andreas Nobell, development manager at TCO Development, one of the founding organisations. “This is not an issue just one day of the year but something we should continue to talk about. That is why we have now formed this initiative.
“The resources on our planet are finite, and we need to take responsibility. The initiative is all about helping buyers and consumers to do this – to take a more responsible approach to the electronics they use. No one can do everything. But everyone can do something. The Circular Electronics Initiative has gathered some concrete things you can do to contribute to the transition to make IT more circular and sustainable.
“As almost 80% of carbon emissions of a laptop occur in the manufacturing phase, extending product life will clearly lead to lower average annual emissions. Adding two years to product life reduces emissions by as much as 30 percent. As you can see, circular approaches have a real impact on the environment.”
The organisations behind the initiative have developed a quiz to help consumers and buyers, titled What do you know about circularity and electronics?. Nobell said the quiz is “an easy way to get the conversation going about circular electronics. It creates awareness about the challenges we face concerning electronics production and consumption. Let’s all join the conversation.”
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