Smart Tags as Enablers for Digital Product Passports in Circular Electronics Value Chains

Abstract

The electronics industry is expected to adopt more sustainable and circular product concepts and operations. Since the electronics value chains are complex, digital product passports (DPPs) that provide value chain transparency and traceability can be seen as one key enabler for shifting towards circular economy. Data carriers that are physical identifiers attached to products provide access to product data stored in the cloud and databases. Smart tags that combine item-level identification with condition monitoring are proposed to enable access also to dynamic lifecycle data of products to improve decision-making at end-of-life based on conditions that the product has been exposed to during its lifecycle. This dynamic information could be effectively used together with product data to decide on which circular economy strategy to adopt: reuse, remanufacture, repair, recycle etc. This paper analyses the data requirements of electronics value chain for DPPs, specifically focusing on which conditions to monitor with the help of smart tags. The data for this analysis was collected from ten developmental value chains aiming for sustainability and circularity with a questionnaire related to data needs, data access, data gaps, and data availability. The responses highlighted the need for data exchange and tools to monitor performance of components during storage and use. A printed visual humidity sensor is developed and analyzed as an experimental case study to help the value chains to dynamically monitor lifecycle conditions of products. This smart tag principal was functional with a visible colour change over time at different humidities between 33–72%RH, while not reacting at 0%RH. The relevance of different smart tag concepts is discussed and other important aspects, such as sustainability and durability of the smart tags, are included in the discussion.