Environment: Improvement options for electronic components

Electronic components such as chips or telecommunication devices may reduce environmental degradation, for example when physical transport of goods or persons is being avoided due to electronic communication. However on the other hand, electronic components do contribute to environmental degradation, for example due to the hazardous materials these products often contain. Moreover, used electronic products are slowly but steadily accumulating. The recycling of this pile of hazardous electronic waste is one of the main challenges ahead for the sector.

Reducing the environmental impact of electronic components therefore involves both improvement of product design, as well as taking care of electronic waste. This document describes two aspects relating to environmentally sound production in the electronic components’ sector:
- Inventory of used materials
- Design for environment

Please note the related documents section (on the right-hand side) where documents with material specific information are listed.