Environmental Assessment in Production of Electronic Components - Possibilities and Obstacles of LCA Methodology

The growing importance of new means of telecommunication in all parts of economy and society has resulted in an enormous growth in the underlying technology sectors, in particular in the electronic sector. However, beside the potential of telecommunication technologies for environmental relieve, the required hardware for the application of these technologies is characterized by severe environmental impacts in manufacturing and end of life. Thus, it is crucial to link further technology developments with the guiding principal of sustainable development. In recent years, LCA as an environmental assessment tool, designed to support the concept of sustainable development, have been frequently applied in various sectors of industry to introduce the concept of environmental sustainability in the design of new products. In this paper, an overview of the possibilities and the obstacles that occur when applying Life Cycle Assessment methods in the electronic sector and hence the telecommunication sector is presented. This overview is based on own experiences made when applying LCA methodology in the field of semiconductor production. Literature data is cited in addition to give an extended survey of this topic.