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Circular Economy in a High-Tech World

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Abstract

The proliferation of electronics, batteries, and solar panels in recent decades has resulted in a substantial generation of “high-tech” end-of-life products. Currently, these products follow a largely linear model, i.e., extract → make → use → dispose, but significant effort is underway to transition to a more circular economy in which products and materials are kept in the economy and out of landfills, incinerators, and the environment. However, many technical and economic challenges can impede, constrain, and preclude a circular economy for high-tech products. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology recently convened expert stakeholders in a virtual workshop to identify key challenges and needs to foster a circular economy for electronics, solar panels, and batteries. Here, we discuss several of these challenges and needs, and provide specific data, standards, tools, proposed research and development, and educational needs to address them. Furthermore, we 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.

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Data Availability

Recordings from the “Circular Economy in the High-Tech World” can be found at [4] and further documentation of the workshop can be found at [7].

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to all the expert workshop speakers who offered valuable information and insight into this urgent and important topic. The authors are very grateful to Dr. Kathryn Beers, Director of the CE program at NIST, for supporting the workshop.

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  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Kelsea A. Schumacher & Martin L. Green

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  1. Kelsea A. Schumacher
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Both authors were involved in the writing of this paper. KAS wrote the first draft and MLG revised and edited the draft. Both authors approved the final version of the paper.

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Correspondence to Kelsea A. Schumacher.

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Schumacher, K.A., Green, M.L. Circular Economy in a High-Tech World. Circ.Econ.Sust. 3, 619–642 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-022-00220-7

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