Strengthening material efficiency of electrical and electronic equipment

Product Policy can contribute considerably towards reaching the goals of resource policy. Foremost contributions to resource efficiency can be expected by improved durability and recyclability of products or components. With regard to circular economy, specifically the recycling of precious and special metals and of plastics from waste of electrical and electronic equipment is an unresolved challenge. Thereby it is important that design measures match with the possibilities of the waste treatment. The article elaborates these in more detail and exemplifies it for information and communication technologies (ICT), like durability of ICT and the recycling of hard disks drives, printed circuit boards and batteries.