Circular economy for e-devices: this are the main challenges
"How much longer will we replace our mobile phones on average every 18 months? The time is approaching when the calculation will not work out - neither for the manufacturer, nor for the user," said our director Ladeja Godina Košir, who participated in a professional conference entitled E-devices - the transition from a linear to a circular economy on 22 March 2023.
The event, which took place on World Water Day, was organized by the ZEOS d.o.o. in Maribor at the premises of IZUM. They connected various stakeholders of the circular economy, who exchanged experiences and looked for solutions in the field of electronics.
What are the biggest challenges in transition from linear to circular economy for e-devices?
1) Limited resources, complex composition, and high repair costs.
"I think that key challenges in the area of the circular economy of electronic waste are limited availability of resources, the complexity of their composition, high repair and upgrade costs, and lack of awareness," said Marinka Vovk, director of the Center for Reuse.
2) Buying new device is cheaper or easier.
"A huge number of broken devices have only a small fault. People don't repair them because they simply don't have the time or energy, moreover, the costs are high. Buying a new device, which they can easily get is, therefore, an easy solution,” said Borut Udovč, head of operations at ETIS d.o.o.
3) Lack of repairman and knowledge
Jernej Križman, Borut Udovč, head of operations at Etis d.o.o., said:
"There is a shortage of repairmen, and on the other hand, appliances have changed a lot. I see a problem in how we are going to repair what is on the market today.”
Good news! There are also some new opportunities.
Aleš Mihelič, head of pre-development of washing and drying machines and project manager at Gorenje, pointed out one great opportunity.
"In the provision of spare parts, a good business model is where manufacturers for a specific market would order a certain number of spare parts from used appliances under the e-waste scheme, which could be reused instead of recycled."
Do you wish to know more about the conference? Here you can find more key takeaways and photos from the event. (in Slovenian)
