End-of-life treatment of telecommunication/IT products-a joint multi-disciplinary project

The paper describes an ongoing multi-disciplinary joint research project between Ericsson and a multidisciplinary research group within the International Graduate School of Management and Industrial Engineering, Linkoping University, Sweden. The purpose of the project is to develop general as well as Ericsson specific knowledge within the field of end-of-life treatment and design for environment of telecommunication and other information technology products. The project aims at providing support for continuous development of environmental criteria and proactive action. Addressing the following issues fulfils the purpose of the project: How can Ericsson continuously improve its strategies for environmental performance of its products, seen over their whole life cycle? How can end-of-life treatment considerations increase the benefit for a company like Ericsson and its customers? What is the essential focus while designing products to be ahead of demands from customers, other stakeholders, and future environmental legislation? In the paper is a discussion as to why the holistic nature of the project makes multi-disciplinary research vital. The paper also gives an overview of achieved research results and a discussion about important practical aspects concerning this kind of multi-disciplinary joint project between industry and university