IPC Chief Technologist Council Publishes Sustainability White Paper on Electronic Design and Manufacturing

In light of the growing need to understand and address environmental sustainability challenges in the electronics manufacturing industry, the IPC Chief Technologist Council this week published a white paper that serves as an educational primer and a guide to further action for electronics manufacturing companies.

“Electronic Design and Manufacturing Sustainability” provides an overview of eight sustainability topics that affect the electronics industry: product life-cycle assessment; recycling and recyclability; bio-based polymers; modularity, repairability, and reuse; eco-design; data needs and management; energy use; and carbon footprints.

The report also covers several changes needed to help industry move in a more sustainable direction; barriers and pitfalls on the road to sustainability; recommendations for company actions, both near-term and long-term; and more than 30 useful online references.

“We’re hearing from our members and from industry influencers that sustainability is a matter of growing importance in our industry,” said IPC Lead Sustainability Strategist Dr. Kelly Scanlon. “Sustainability reporting requirements are already in place in many countries, and many more are being considered.

“Thus, the purpose of this white paper is to help our members begin to understand and cope with some of the pressing environmental sustainability issues affecting our industry,” Scanlon added.

The white paper is a joint product of nearly 20 industry experts from the IPC Chief Technologist Council, composed of technology leaders from OEM, EMS, component packaging, materials, and PCB companies.

Download the paper and visit the IPC Sustainability for Electronics or the IPC Chief Technologist Council landing pages, for more information.