CIRCULAR ELECTRONICS R-Strategic excellence in electronics circularity — from 10R to 60R and second-life resilience

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The circular economy in electronics focuses on minimizing waste and maximizing the use of materials. Using frameworks like the 10R hierarchy and 60R taxonomy, strategies promote extending product life and leveraging durable components such as semiconductors. The emphasis on “reuse at the highest level” supports longer use of entire devices, reducing new production needs. Future innovations like digital product passports and AI-driven maintenance are set to enhance sustainability in the sector.

In the realm of electronics, technical frameworks grounded in circular economy principles are paving the way for innovative approaches to extend product lifespans, reduce waste, and enhance resource efficiency.

Core circular-economy concepts & the value of second life in electronics

The circular economy rests on three pillars: designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems [Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020]. In the electronics sector, these pillars are operationalized through structured frameworks such as the 10R hierarchy and the 60R taxonomy.

• 10R Framework: A widely used set of ten strategies ranging from prevention (R0) to last-resort recovery (R9), designed to keep materials at their highest possible utility for as long as possible [Reike et al., 2018].

• 60R Taxonomy: A more granular model grouping 60 circular actions into four clusters — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Reverse Logistics — based on a systematic review of 148 CE principles [Uvarova et al., 2023].

• Loop Frameworks: The R-strategies can be grouped into short loops (R0–R2, prevention and optimization), medium loops (R3–R7, life extension), and long loops (R8–R9, recovery) [Reike et al., 2018].

An emerging idea in CE thinking is “reuse at the highest level” (or “second life”), which keeps entire devices or large subsystems in use before they are broken down for parts or materials [PCIM Europe, 2025]. This is particularly relevant in electronics, where semiconductors, passive components, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and interconnects can often outlast the host device [Zorpas, 2024].

Expanded 10R framework with electronics-focused examples

The Ten R-Strategies:

• R0 – Refuse

• R1 – Rethink

• R2 – Reduce

• R3 – Reuse

• R4 – Repair

• R5 – Refurbish

• R6 – Remanufacture

• R7 – Repurpose

• R8 – Recycle

• R9 – Recover

Short loops: Prevent & simplify

Explanation: Short loops act early in the product lifecycle to avoid waste creation altogether. They address design choices, consumption behavior, and product-service models that reduce the need for new production [Reike et al., 2018]. In electronics, these strategies minimize raw material extraction and prevent early obsolescence.

Examples:

R0 – Refuse:

• Postpone upgrading a functioning smartphone.

• Choose a cloud service over buying external storage hardware.

• Minimalist e-ink reading devices.

R1 – Rethink:

• Fairphone – modular, ethical smartphones (fairphone.com) [Zorpas, 2024].

• Framework Laptop – repairable, upgradable laptops (framework.com) [Zorpas, 2024].

• Recy-ctronics – printed recyclable electronics on biodegradable substrates [Li et al., 2024].

R2 – Reduce:

• Slim ultrabooks with fewer components.

• Chip-on-board integration to cut assembly needs.

• High-efficiency power supplies lowering energy waste [Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020].

E-BOOK

Semiconductors: A Comprehensive Guide

Medium loops: Extend life & value

Explanation: Medium loops focus on keeping products in circulation at their current utility level for as long as possible. They involve maintenance, repair, reconditioning, or reconfiguration to avoid manufacturing a replacement product [Reike et al., 2018].

Examples:

R3 – Reuse:

• Back Market – global refurbished electronics marketplace (backmarket.com) [Zorpas, 2024].

• Donating tablets to educational NGOs [European Parliament, 2023].

• Corporate IT redeployment programs.

R4 – Repair:

• iFixit – repair kits and guides (ifixit.com) [Zorpas, 2024].

• Community repair cafés.

• Modular device ecosystems for self-repair.

R5 – Refurbish:

• Alchemy – Irish refurbisher processing millions of devices [Zorpas, 2024].

• Enterprise IT refurbishment with battery & SSD upgrades.

• Circular Computing refurbishing to BSI Kitemark [Circular Computing, 2023].

R6 – Remanufacture:

• Circular Computing – CO₂ footprint only ~6 % of new laptops [Circular Computing, 2023].

• Telecom base station remanufacture.

• Industrial controllers rebuilt to OEM specs.

R7 – Repurpose:

• Smartphones repurposed as IoT controllers.

• Laptops converted to thin clients.

• Chips reused in development boards [Zorpas, 2024].

Long loops: Recover materials & energy

Explanation: Long loops apply when products can no longer be kept intact or functional. They aim to reclaim materials or generate energy from end-of-life products, ensuring minimal waste enters landfills [Reike et al., 2018].

Examples:

R8 – Recycle:

• Sims Recycling Solutions – global e-waste metals recovery (simsrecycling.com) [Zorpas, 2024].

• Rare-earth extraction from server motherboards.

• Copper recovery from printed circuit boards [Uvarova et al., 2023].

R9 – Recover:

• Energy recovery from unrecyclable composites.

• Waste-to-energy incineration.

• Pyrolysis of plastics to create synthetic fuels [Zorpas, 2024].

Critical summary table — 10R in E

electronics

The 60R taxonomy: Four clusters & detailed strategy explanations

The 60R taxonomy expands the circular economy model into 60 actionable strategies derived from 148 CE principles [Uvarova et al., 2023]. The four clusters — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Reverse Logistics — follow the product life cycle from design to recovery.

Cluster 1 – Reduce

Purpose: Minimize resource use and waste at the design and production stages. These short-loop strategies delay or avoid the need for new production.

• Refuse – Avoid unnecessary products. Example: No low-durability promotional USB drives [Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020].

• Rethink – Shift to service-based models. Example: Cloud computing instead of corporate servers [Zorpas, 2024].

• Reduce – Lower material use. Example: Ultrabooks with fewer components.

• Redesign – Modular smartphones for easy upgrades (Fairphone).

• Re-source – Use recycled aluminum casings.

• Replace – Bioplastics in housings.

• Re-engineer – System-on-chip integration.

• Re-specify – Tenders requiring remanufactured laptops [Circular Computing, 2023].

• Re-materialize – PVC-free cables.

• Re-optimize – SMT process material savings.

• Re-plan – Lean production scheduling.

• Re-configure – Facility layout redesign.

• Re-localize – Local sourcing to cut transport emissions.

• Re-economize – Cost savings with sustainability.

• Re-evaluate – Review sustainability baselines.

Cluster 2 – Reuse

Purpose: Keep products and components at their current functional level as long as possible (medium-loop).

• Reuse – Corporate IT redeployment.

• Repair – iFixit laptop kits.

• Refurbish – Back Market smartphones.

• Remanufacture – Circular Computing laptops.

• Repurpose – Smartphone as security camera.

• Re-sell – eBay Certified Refurbished.

• Re-gift – School IT donations [European Parliament, 2023].

• Re-lease – Student subscription laptops.

• Re-distribute – Move idle stock to active use.

• Re-deploy – Components reused in new builds.

• Re-share – Shared printers in coworking.

• Re-integrate – Components fed back into production.

• Re-install – Software/hardware redeployment.

• Re-service – Preventive maintenance.

• Re-condition – Restore worn equipment.

Cluster 3 – Recycle

Purpose: Convert materials into raw inputs when reuse is impossible (long-loop).

• Recycle – Motherboard copper recovery [Uvarova et al., 2023].

• Re-mine – Rare-earth recovery from HDD magnets.

• Re-smelt – Gold extraction from connectors.

• Re-polymerize – ABS recycling.

• Re-form – Reshape recovered materials.

• Re-fabricate – Manufacture from recycled inputs.

• Re-blend – Combine recycled and virgin materials.

• Re-purify – Remove contaminants.

• Re-cast – Molten metal recasting.

• Re-pelletize – Plastic pellet creation.

• Re-melt – Metal reshaping.

• Re-granulate – Plastic granulation.

• Re-mold – Product forming from recycled feedstock.

• Re-extrude – Extrusion of recycled materials.

• Re-distill – Solvent purification.

Cluster 4 – Reverse logistics

Purpose: Retrieve, transport, and reintegrate end-of-life products into the circular system.

• Retrieve – Dell Reconnect program.

• Return – Consumer product return systems.

• Recall – Safety-related product recovery.

• Re-collect – Scheduled e-waste pickups.

• Re-channel – Directing returns to proper processing.

• Re-route – Logistics optimization.

• Re-stock – Returned goods back to inventory.

• Re-assign – Redirecting goods to new users.

• Re-sort – Condition-based sorting.

• Re-transport – Shipping to recovery facilities.

• Re-track – RFID in reverse logistics [Uvarova et al., 2023].

• Re-audit – Quality control on returns.

• Re-verify – Authenticity checks.

• Re-account – Inventory updates.

• Re-report – Circularity data reporting.

Reuse at the highest level: Entropy, components & second life

“Reuse at the highest level” aims to keep devices functioning in original roles for as long as possible [PCIM Europe, 2025]. Entropy — the unavoidable increase in disorder — drives physical wear, affecting different components at different rates [Callen, 1985].

Components with lifespans exceeding first life of the product:

• Semiconductors – Decades if thermally managed [Zorpas, 2024].

• Passive components – Often survive beyond device obsolescence.

• PCBs – Reliable unless damaged.

• Interconnects – Reusable across product generations.

Implications: Enables targeted harvesting, reduces virgin production demand, and supports design for disassembly.

Summary & outlook

The 10R framework offers an intuitive priority ladder, while the 60R taxonomy provides actionable granularity. Second-life thinking highlights untapped reuse potential of durable subsystems.

Future developments will integrate digital product passports, AI-driven predictive maintenance, and automated disassembly robotics — moving electronics from linear “produce–use–dispose” towards a regenerative circular model.

References

• [Callen, 1985] Callen, H.B. (1985). Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics. 2nd Edition. Wiley.

• [Circular Computing, 2023] Circular Computing. (2023). Sustainable Remanufactured Laptops. Available at: https://www.circularcomputing.com

• [Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020] Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2020). What is a Circular Economy? Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-concept

• [European Parliament, 2023] European Parliament. (2023). Circular Economy Benefits for the EU. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu

• [Li et al., 2024] Li, X., et al. (2024). Recyclable Printed Electronics on Biodegradable Substrates. Journal of Sustainable Electronics, 12(3), 201–214.

• [PCIM Europe, 2025] PCIM Europe. (2025). Reuse at the Highest Level & Second Life Concepts in Electronics. Available at: https://pcim.mesago.com

• [Reike et al., 2018] Reike, D., Vermeulen, W.J.V., & Witjes, S. (2018). The Circular Economy: New or Refurbished as CE 3.0? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 135, 246–264.

• [Uvarova et al., 2023] Uvarova, I., et al. (2023). The Typology of 60R Circular Economy Principles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 423, 138765.

• [Zorpas, 2024] Zorpas, A.A. (2024). Expanding Circular Economy Strategies Beyond 10R. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(4), 4502–4516.

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