| Abstract |
Brief cycles of technological innovation and practices such as programmed obsolescence cause that electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are replaced too often. Appliances that still work properly or can be easily repaired are prematurely thrown away. This has caused an exponential growth of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that today represents a severe problem. A circular management, based on the principle of hierarchy of waste, is needed to alleviate high environmental and economic costs of continuous raw materials extraction. This work aims, first, to set out some general guidelines that should lead all reforms about WEEE management after the development of circular economy strategy. Based on that, some proposals will be presented to encourage the circular use of resources in the electrical and electronic sector, being aware that the greatest possibilities for applying the principles of the circular economy go through preventive measures: ecological design, lifespan analysis and measures against programmed obsolescence. |