Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1537616
JULY 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 25 Please explain what circularity means, especially when compared to what is traditionally thought of as recycling. Dehmey: E-waste management is the result of a lin- ear life supply chain where we take things from the earth, make products, use them, and then we have garbage or waste. Historically, with any product, we must look at how we deal with that waste: collec- tion, landfill, incineration, and/or managing the haz- ardous things within it. Circularity is building a more regenerative approach. First, how do we recover the materials from those products we've already manufactured and put them back into something new, rather than mining more virgin materials? It's actually more regenerative than that: How do we maximize the utility of these products? How do we keep them in use longer? That considers the full lifecycle of a product. How long are we build- ing this product to last? How do we service, sup- port, and repair it? Technology is now integrated into all kinds of things that historically didn't use electronics. With smart technology, you can connect your refriger- ator to the internet, start your washing machine from work, or see who's at your door even if you're on the other side of the world. We live in a con- nected world, so circularity is about encompassing the entire lifecycle of those products. As this evolves, the R2 standard has been our book of knowledge. It's how we share best prac- tices in electronics reuse and recycling, and how we help to build the knowledge, capabilities, and C orey D ehmey capacity throughout the world. We don't just say that we want to be sustainable. We've got to build the ability to achieve it. SERI and the R2 certifica- tion program are working to build that. How does eSummit fit into all of this? Dehmey: The eSummit is the next, logical exten- sion of our programming. We saw the opportunity to bring together the full lifecycle of stakeholders. It's usually one vertical for a conference. We don't get to talk across that lifecycle. The eSummit will take one catwelectronics—look at all the different groups within that entire product life- cycle, and deter- mine how best to bring them together. We will discuss and prob- lem-solve how to make these prod- ucts last longer, sup- port them, keep them in use, and collect those mate- rials at the end and put them back into new products. Scanlon: Remember in the 1990s, when comput- ers on your desktop became a reality for busi- nesses, churches, schools, and universities. Those