Abstract & Overview
This paper reviews the problems that many electronics manufacturers are facing in a society of rules and regulations that are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. The effect of electronics assembly, disassembly, and disposal on the environment is reviewed, and the potential hazards of continuing the present trends in electronics parts disposal is discussed. The paper contains a comprehensive survey of previous works related to environmentally conscious manufacturing practices, recycling, and the complexities of disassembly in the electronics industry. Interest in this area has intensified in recent years due to an increased awareness of the problem in a world of high technology where electronic products dominate. Industrial applications of recycling programs are presented and existing methodologies and evaluation systems are discussed. In order to promote and support this new environmental ethic in electronics assembly and disassembly, the need for improved methods of electronics reuse, minimization of life-cycle scrap, development of planning tools, and an increase in research activity in this area are also highlighted.