Citation:

Meyer, D. AND J. Katz. Analyzing the Environmental Impacts of Laptop Enclosures Using Screening-Level Life Cycle Assessment to Support Sustainable Consumer Electronics. Presented at CSS Webinar, NA, October 09, 2014.

Impact/Purpose:

This presntation has been requested by partners in OCSPP and R9. The purpose is to present LCA research from CSS regarding sustainable consumer electronic enclosures to external partners from industry and allow the to provide feedback.

Description:

With the ever-increasing amount of consumer electronics in service, it is essential industries and policy-makers work together to develop ways to manufacture more environmentally sustainable IT products which meet the needs of society. The objective of this study was to better understand how to promote the manufacture of environmentally preferable consumer electronics by gathering data on the impacts related to use of various materials in laptop enclosures. This presentation outlines the findings from the application of screening-level life cycle assessment to a laptop enclosure. The baseline material, selected for its widespread use in laptop enclosure manufacturing today, was the fossil plastic blend of polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS). Alternative materials included the biomaterials polylactic acid (PLA), bamboo, aluminum metal, and various combinations of these materials known to be currently used or being considered for use in laptop enclosure manufacturing. The flame retardants included in this study, selected due to their current use or potential use in laptop enclosures or plastic blends, were bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP), 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO), and borax-boric acid-phosphorous acid (BBAP).

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