Design for Disassembly Criteria in EU Product Policies for a More Circular Economy: A Method for Analyzing Battery Packs in PC-Tablets and Subnotebooks

Abstract

Technological advances are increasing the complexity of products, especially those in the area of information and communication technologies. Complexity has increased in several aspects: An increased number of materials are used in products, small amounts of materials with key functions are included (i.e., rare earths in light-emitting diodes), and there are more combinations of diverse types of components and connections. The difficulty of separating parts of the products limits the development of circular economy strategies where repair, upgrade, and remanufacture prevent wasting valuable resources contained in those products. This article presents a method for analyzing the removal of battery packs in newer portable computer models, namely PC-tablets and subnotebooks, as an example on how the design of batteries can affect the life span and potential reuse of such computers. The study analyzes the difficulty of removing battery packs using the results from previous analyses of the design for disassembly of newer computer models together with audio-visual material available on the Internet. The disassembly tasks for removal of batteries are summarized by disassembly codes that could be used to help identify the design features that facilitate easier disassembly. The article goes on to discuss also how the results could be included in European Union (EU) product policies aimed to help meet some of the objectives of the European Commission's (EC) Circular Economy Package.