Jacquetta Lee

Abstract This paper presents five case studies on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling to provide a coherent overview on the likely impact of eco-design measures on recycling of plastics used in energy-related products within the EU. Whilst some eco-design measures, such as improving disassembly of plastic parts, may generally benefit recycling operations, other measures were found to be ineffective or requiring further investigation.

The public sector is currently responsible for around 25% of annual construction procurement in the UK, of which £18bn is spent by local councils. Through the likes of the Social Value Act, procurement evaluation has been increasingly mandated by Government to consider not just cost but added value, including sustainability.

Summary This paper describes the challenges faced, and opportunities identified, by a multidisciplinary team of researchers developing a novel closed loop system to recover valuable metals and reduce e‐waste, focusing on mobile phones as a case study. This multidisciplinary approach is contrasted with current top‐down approaches to making the transition to the circular economy (CE).