Digital Solutions for a Circular Electronics Value Chain

As part of a collaboration for International E- waste Day 2021, the International Telecommunication Union, the WEEE Forum, GSMA, and Sofies Group (now dss⁺), have prepared this thought paper to explore the current applicability and scope of digital technologies in enabling the transition to a circular electronics value chain. The paper maps out major digitalisation trends and highlights use cases of digital technologies across the electronics value chain, from raw material production and electronics manufacturing, post-consumer e- waste collection, logistics and treatment to overall e-waste system management and monitoring. Examples ranging from simple digital platforms and uber-style mobile collection applications, to AI enabled e-waste recognition and blockchain based secure communication channels, are drawn from both established and emerging digital solutions, whilst case studies provide a deeper look into real world applications of digital technologies across the electronics value chain.