Title: Environmental assessment tool to analyse the presence of critical and valuable raw materials

Authors: Patricia Gómez Bachiller; Carmelo Pina; Daniel Elduque; Isabel Clavería; Carlos Javierre; Judith Sarasa

Addresses: BSH Electrodomésticos España, S.A., Avda de la Industria, 49, Zaragoza, Spain ' BSH Electrodomésticos España, S.A., Avda de la Industria, 49, Zaragoza, Spain ' i+ (i3A), University of Zaragoza, C/ María de Luna 3, Zaragoza, Spain ' i+ (i3A), University of Zaragoza, C/ María de Luna 3, Zaragoza, Spain ' i+ (i3A), University of Zaragoza, C/ María de Luna 3, Zaragoza, Spain ' Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Institute (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, C/ María de Luna 3, Zaragoza Spain

Abstract: The aim of this paper is show the software 'Sustainable Electronics' (SE), developed in the University of Zaragoza as an environmental impact assessment tool, specially developed to design components taking into account the presence of critical and valuable raw materials consumption; simulating environmental impact and measuring the overall raw material consumption, taking into account material composition of the electronic components. It considers raw material acquisition, manufacturing processes, transports and end of life. This software allows us to easily update and use the datasets provided by Life Cycle Inventory databases, such as, for example, EcoInvent, developed by the Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories. The methodology has been tested through the software in an electronic board of a touch control used in an induction hob. As result, it has been obtained that there is a high consumption of materials such as copper, tin or aluminium.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; LCA; simulation; methodology; critical materials; material composition; environmental impact assessment; EIA; raw materials; component design; sustainable electronics; valuable materials; materials consumption; electronic components; sustainability; materials acquisition; manufacturing processes; transport; end of life; EOL components; life cycle inventory; electronic boards; touch control; induction hob; copper; tin; aluminium.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSCOM.2016.082238

International Journal of Service and Computing Oriented Manufacturing, 2016 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.205 - 225

Received: 29 Mar 2016
Accepted: 29 Jun 2016
Published online: 13 Feb 2017 *

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