Design for Recycling of Electronic Products
Study on Smart TVs
D.L. Versloot (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
A.R. Balkenende (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)
Dorien C. van Dolderen (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)
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Abstract
This thesis investigates how electronic products can be designed for effective recycling, which can reduce the demand for critical raw materials and mitigate environmental and human health risks through the safe removal of hazardous substances. In collaboration with an electronics recycling facility, this study provides practical insights into e-waste recycling through a shredding experiment. By conducting a shredding experiment with four brands of smart TVs the influence of product and part characteristics on the liberation and separation of materials are studied. The insights of this experiment, with a specific focus on connections and materials, are incorporated into Design for Recycling (DfR) guidelines and introduces a novel method to assess the tensions between repairability and recyclability, called: Recyclability Maps.
Key findings include the identification of connections that influence the separation of materials, such as the high liberation degree of snap-fits and the complex behaviour of screws and adhesives. This study demonstrates the critical role of product design in enhancing the recyclability of products and reducing its environmental impact. The developed DfR guidelines offer practical guidance for designers, integrating theoretical insights with empirical data from the recycling experiment. The Recyclability Map method provides a structured approach to evaluate how design choices affect the repairability and recyclability of a product. With this method the smart TVs were analysed on the tensions between these two circular design strategies.
The thesis concludes that effective integration of circular design strategies requires careful selection of connections and materials during the design phase, emphasizing the importance of informed design decisions to promote sustainability.