Circularity moves up a gear: In2tec lauds landmark Toyota report

Pioneering sustainable electronics company In2tec has praised Toyota for its future-facing report highlighting the need for sustainability in materials handling equipment.

The researchers behind 'Logistics Trends 2024' concluded that looming government sustainability targets - backed by strong punishments - will drive circularity in the industry.

The report states: "Undoubtedly the biggest area of focus is on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), with new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) coming into effect this year, which will affect over 50,000 companies across Europe.

"This will increase pressure on new developments to lower CO2 emissions in many areas, as examples we see a lot of work going on around renewable energy, more energy-efficient products and carbon-free steel.”

In2tec Sustainable Electronics Ambassador and Commercial Director Emma Armstrong says: "We are seeing more major players such as Toyota shine a light on the imperative for a renewed focus on the circularity of electronics.

"Hopefully, these thought leaders will shake the wider industry out of its slow adoption of technology circularity before stringent and punitive legal measures force them to - to say nothing of the climate crisis affecting us all."

The Toyota report also highlights that financial performance will fall in importance while environmental social governance will rise.

It adds: "That is now changing, as investors and other stakeholders in society want to know

companies’ environmental performance and understand how they manage social aspects.

"Surveys show that company management is having to adapt at a very fast pace."

In2tec has developed a pair of patented technologies – ReUSE®, the manufacturing of unzippable electronics assemblies, and ReCYCLE™ an ultra-low energy disassembly process – that allow full end-of-life opportunities for repair of electronics and reuse of components.

These unique technologies can help manufacturers and the wider electronics industry introduce circularity to their operations.

Emma added: “Circularity in the electronics industry is no longer a crippling expense thanks to our technology.

"It overcomes technical challenges to recycling, such as the stress caused to de-soldered components by the reclamation process, while opening up new revenue streams and cost savings from the reclaimed components."

www.in2tec.com