Towards Recyclable Electronics: Criteria for High-Quality Design for Recycling Methods

Electronics recycling aims at the recovery of materials from obsolete electronic products, containing valuable, harmful, and polluting materials. While product design can improve recyclability, a gap remains between design and recycling practices. This study assessed the quality of published Design for Recycling (DfR) methods for electronics to develop criteria for high-quality methods. A systematic review of 30 years of the literature identified 16 distinct methods, which were evaluated for completeness, practical applicability, and alignment with recycling practices. The review shows major gaps in method development and validation, with few methods being tested in design practice or validated by recycling experiments. Based on these findings, we propose criteria emphasizing aspects such as design practitioner involvement, integration with recycling practice, adaptability, and clear documentation. This study shows the need for practical and accessible methods that bridge the gap between design and recycling.