Video Series Shares Innovative Eco-Design Practices for a Circular Electronics Economy
Key Summary
• The Eco-Design webinar series highlighted innovative approaches for circular electronics
• Presenters emphasized using life cycle assessments to guide early design decisions
• Collaboration across suppliers, teams, and customers is essential for circularity success
• Innovation in design, business models, and repairability helps extend product life cycles
• Four summary videos were created to showcase the key themes and best practices
The iNEMI/IPC/Fraunhofer Eco-Design for Circular Electronics Economy comprised a series of interactive webinars featuring industry leaders sharing their experiences in implementing innovative/beyond regulatory compliance eco-design work. The goal of this educational series was to capture the best and most innovative practices being used today and to highlight the processes these leaders follow to determine where to focus their eco-design efforts.
In reviewing the presentations from the webinars, the Eco-Design team identified several common approaches, or themes, regarding how the different organizations drive circular economy in their business models and products. As a final report, the team produced four videos that summarize these successful approaches. One video provides an introduction and overview to the series and three summarize the approaches identified as common themes in the presentations: https://youtu.be/PtEkaXd_Uk0
- Take Action Now — All of the organizations featured in the series utilize life cycle assessments to drive decision-making at the product design stage to minimize environmental impact. Taking action now to collect data and perform life cycle assessments was a theme that stood out in all of the presentations. This video provides examples of how life cycle assessments are used to drive design for circularity. https://youtu.be/ElTXPsI7Qvk
- Collaboration — Collaborative, cross-disciplinary discussion is key to achieving eco-design for a circular electronics economy. From working with suppliers and ensuring all teams across an organization are communicating for a common goal, to working with industry partners and customers to extend the life of products — these are all examples highlighted in the “Collaboration” summary video. https://youtu.be/qHzRTTyJfDM
- Innovation — Innovation can be implemented in product design, in programs to repurpose and extend a product’s life cycle, in business models, and through product repairability/upgradeability to close the circular loop. In this video, presenters show how their organizations are innovating at the business model level, the product level and through services. https://youtu.be/TiHTV179On8
The series shared real-world examples of companies implementing advanced eco-design practices. Industry leaders explained how they decide where to focus circularity efforts and demonstrated approaches that go beyond regulatory compliance.
Life cycle assessments, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and innovation in both design and business models emerged as central themes. These practices help companies reduce environmental impact and support a circular electronics economy.
Life cycle assessments help teams evaluate environmental impacts early in product development. Presenters showed how collecting data and using these assessments guide decisions that improve circularity and reduce waste throughout the product lifespan.
Collaboration enables suppliers, internal teams, partners, and customers to work toward shared goals. Presenters highlighted how communication across these groups extends product life, improves design choices, and strengthens circularity efforts.
Organizations are innovating through repairable products, new business models, extended use programs, and service-based strategies. These approaches help close the loop by increasing reuse, upgradeability, and long-term product value.