The prevalence of electrical and electronic devices has increased significantly in recent years. The constant introduction of new versions of established devices and the development of new types of devices are leading to a steady rise in the number of electrical appliances in private households. At the same time, the volume of electronic waste is also increasing. A 2023 study by the Federal Ministry for the Environment shows that the collection rate for waste electrical and electronic equipment—that is, the proportion of waste electrical and electronic equipment collected at recycling centers relative to the total amount of such equipment placed on the market —at just 29.5%, was significantly below the EU’s target rate of 65%. This highlights that the useful life of electrical appliances is often influenced not only by technical defects but also by changing needs, trends, consumption patterns, and values.
On behalf of the Federal Environment Agency, ISIconsult, in collaboration with the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW), the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM), and UNITAR, is investigating the societal causes of shortened lifespans of electrical and electronic devices. How do established social practices, societal norms, milieu-specific values, or (digital) consumer infrastructure influence the service lives of electrical appliances?
To this end, a comprehensive and up-to-date database on the duration of use and retention of electronic devices will first be compiled, drawing on both technical and social science studies. When collecting data on usage and lifespan, a distinction is made between private and non-private households (companies, organizations) in order to identify the specific factors influencing the lifespan of electrical devices in different contexts. To this end, a representative survey on the lifespan of electronic devices in private households will be conducted. In addition, the disposal behavior of private individuals at municipal recycling centers will be recorded, and the condition of the devices turned in will be documented. To gather data on the public and commercial sectors, expert interviews are being conducted with decision-makers from companies and organizations.
The goal of the study is to create an up-to-date, representative, and publicly accessible database on the duration of use, length of time in use, repair practices, and disposal patterns of electrical and electronic equipment in private and non-private households. In addition, a framework will be developed to assess service lives and their underlying causes in non-residential contexts. Based on this, policy implications will be derived and recommendations for action developed that contribute to promoting a circular economy and extending the service lives of electrical and electronic equipment.