Waste prevention of ICT products towards circular economy

Abstract: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is something that drives our society forward, but how we are consuming these products is rather something that harm our environment rather than pushing our society forward. This thesis investigates our unstainable consumption of ICT products and takes a look at waste prevention solutions in order to reach circular economy with a focus on Swedish municipalities. The thesis aims to investigate how Swedish municipalities work and can work towards waste prevention within this product category. The thesis is conducted by a literature review and an interview survey with respondents from several municipalities in Scania, Sweden. During the literature review the two main barriers within waste prevention of ICT products were found; lack of appropriate take-back schemes and consumers’ preferences for new products. These two main barriers were also confirmed by the interview respondents. Since both the literature and the interview respondents agreed on these two main berries, the thesis presents two potential solutions which are an implementation of a deposit-refund system for ICT products and more information about the importance of collecting ICT in order to increase repair, refurbishment and reuse.