Schumacher, K.
and Green, M.
(2022),
Circular Economy in a High-Tech World, Nature Sustainability, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=932851
(Accessed November 20, 2024)
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Circular Economy in a High-Tech World
Published
Author(s)
,
Abstract
The proliferation of electronics, batteries, and solar panels in recent decades has resulted in a substantial generation of end-of-life (EoL) "high-tech" products. Currently, these products follow a largely linear – extract, make, use, dispose – model, but significant effort is underway to transition to a more circular economy in which product and materials are kept in the economy. However, many technical and economic challenges can impede, constrain, and preclude a CE for high-tech products. Here, we discuss several of these challenges and provide specific data, standards, tools, proposed research and development and educational needs to address them. We further argue that a circular economy cannot be achieved by individual efforts alone, but rather necessitates collaboration across disciplines, industry sectors, public and private stakeholders, and geographical regions.Citation
Nature Sustainability
Pub Type
Journals
Download Paper
Keywords
circular economy, sustainabiility, recycling, reuse, refurbishment, electronic waste, battery waste, photovoltaics waste
Citation
Issues
If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.
Created October 18, 2022, Updated November 29, 2022