The environment [Electronics industry aspects]

Over the years, the electronics industry has deservedly won a name for environmental leadership. Its biggest transnational companies are in the vanguard of the movement to inject ecological considerations into the design and overall decision-making processes. Even so, in such areas as the use of energy, water, and environmentally hazardous and toxic chemicals, much remains to be done. This paper examines recent technological developments in this field and highlights how: product takeback has come into focus; design for environment standards need small company support; the Energy Star program has expanded further; and momentum builds for point-of-generation and dry cleaning technologies.