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Eco-friendly electronics

In both the realm food and textiles, the concept of an eco-score is becoming more prevalent in our everyday existence. This scoring system is a point-based indicator designed to quantify a product’s environmental impact, aiding consumers in making informed and environmentally conscious choices. It is often represented on a scale from A to E. (1- food , 2- textiles)

More and more work is being done to adapt the eco-score concept to the world of electronics (3- PhD thesis at Arts et Métiers Bordeaux, 4). In collaboration with Ecolotronic, CATIE sought to contribute by etablishing a straightforward method to calculate an ecological indicator for both the production and utilization of electronic boards within its 6TRON platform.

The methodology is segmented into five primary stages :

  1. Definition of the study objective and working hypothèses ;
  2. Determination of inputs at different stages of the card’s Life Cycle ;
  3. Evaluation of impact indicator values using appropriate tools ;
  4. Standardization of indicators to return to a single unit ;
  5. Generation of an eco-score for the card studied.

The resulting eco-score is expressed as Environmental Impact of an average European over one year. It is detailed using 2 graphical représentations, both accessible on every 6TRON cart presentation page.

For further details and instructions on configuring and computing the electronic eco-score at CATIE, please refer to the available document by clicking here.