The perennial problem of obsolescence in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sector can be overcome by placing circularity at the forefront of unit design, advises sustainable electronics company In2tec.
Sadly, it’s common for recyclable materials from HVAC replacement to end up in landfill, adding to the global mountain of ewaste and wasting valuable and dwindling materials.
Emma Armstrong, sustainable electronics ambassador and group commercial director at In2tec, says a ‘design for disassembly’ approach means less virgin materials are used.
She said: “Aircon machines have a life of between 7-10 years, yet there is nothing within decommissioned units which cannot be used again.
“Manufacturers must abandon traditional linear models – where products are made, used and discarded – for sustainable approaches.”
In2tec already works with HVAC market leaders to create interfaces that fit anywhere and include next-generation functionality using the bespoke curved interfaces of its Flexi-hibrid technology.
Now the company is working with innovators in the sector to adopt its signature ReUSE and ReCYCLE technologies, which comprise closed-loop processes that allow manufacturers to remove components from existing electronics at the end of their useful life.
ReUSE is a series of materials, processes, and design principles used to manufacture printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), while ReCYCLE is the ultra-low energy process for unzipping PCBAs – the foundation of nearly all technology – to the original bill of materials (BoM).
“The units will use the same components again and again, so ReUSE will mitigate the problem of obsolescence,” Emma adds. “Over the next five to 10 years, I hope we’ll see the industry taking real action on sustainable electronics and adopting more responsible design practices.
“It is imperative that products are designed with end-of-life in mind. If we don’t think about how something will be taken apart, repaired, or reused from the very beginning, we simply continue the cycle of take-make-waste.
“We have to divert ewaste from landfill and stop wasting resources that we’ve already dug out of the ground and can’t replenish. Whether it’s driven by a genuine desire to safeguard the planet or by compliance pressure around repairability and circularity, I believe the HVAC industry is moving in the right direction – and I see technologies like ReUSE and ReCYCLE playing a pivotal role in that shift.
“The ability to harvest components and materials in a way that preserves their value directly addresses many of the issues we face today. As these technologies become more widely adopted, they’ll help the industry move away from the linear model and toward something far more sustainable for the future.”