IEC TR 62824:2016

Guidance on material efficiency considerations in environmentally conscious design of electrical and electronic products

IEC 62824:2016(E) which is a Technical Report provides information on selection and efficient use of materials in electrical and electronic products. Environmentally conscious design (ECD) can then proceed in such a way that aspects, including material type, material quantity, material substitutability, renewable material, material recyclability, material recoverability, and durability of product are taken into account during the design phase.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 26-Apr-2016
• ICS: 13.020.01 - Environment and environmental protection in general
• Technical Committee: TC 111 - Environmental standardization for electrical and electronic products and systems
• Drafting Committee: PT 62824 - TC 111/PT 62824
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 27-Apr-2016
• Completion Date: 15-Jun-2016

Overview

IEC TR 62824:2016 - Guidance on material efficiency considerations in environmentally conscious design of electrical and electronic products - is a Technical Report from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It provides practical information for integrating material efficiency into Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD) for electrical and electronic products. The report focuses on selecting and using materials efficiently during design to support sustainability and resource conservation across a product’s life cycle.

Key Topics

• Material efficiency definition: A comparative indicator of material used for a product to provide a particular function, forming part of broader resource efficiency.
• Material aspects covered:
  • Material type and material quantity
  • Material substitutability (ability to replace one material with another)
  • Renewable material use (sources that are replenished)
  • Material recyclability (ability of waste materials to be processed for reuse)
  • Material recoverability (ease of separating materials at end-of-life)
  • Durability (ability to perform until the end of useful life)
• Integration into ECD process: Guidance on where to consider material aspects - during regulatory and stakeholder analysis, environmental aspect identification and evaluation, and design and development phases.
• Definitions and references: Terms and concepts aligned with IEC standards (e.g., IEC 62474 material declaration, IEC 62430 ECD principles, IEC 62542 recyclability wording).

Applications

IEC TR 62824:2016 is practical for organizations and professionals seeking to reduce material-related environmental impacts and improve circularity in electrical and electronic products. Typical users include:

• Product designers and mechanical/electrical engineers applying ECD principles
• Sustainability managers and EHS teams developing material policies
• Materials specialists evaluating substitutability, recyclability and recoverability
• Compliance and regulatory teams responding to resource efficiency laws and stakeholder requirements
• Manufacturers implementing product lifecycle and circular economy strategies

Practical uses:

• Informing material selection during conceptual and detailed design
• Using material declarations (e.g., IEC 62474) to assess material type and quantity
• Designing for disassembly, recyclability and material recovery at end-of-life
• Balancing durability with material efficiency to optimize product lifetime

Related Standards

• IEC 62430 - Environmentally conscious design (ECD) principles and process
• IEC 62474 - Material declaration for electronic products (information source on material type/quantity)
• IEC 62542 - Definitions related to recyclability terminology
• IEC 60050 - Electrotechnical vocabulary (durability and related terms)

IEC TR 62824:2016 helps embed material efficiency into ECD workflows, supporting sustainable product design, improved recyclability, and informed material choices for the electrical and electronic industry.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC TR 62824 ®
Edition 1.0 2016-04
TECHNICAL
REPORT
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insinsiidede
Guidance on material efficiency considerations in environmentally conscious
design of electrical and electronic products
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IEC TR 62824 ®
Edition 1.0 2016-04
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Guidance on material efficiency considerations in environmentally conscious

design of electrical and electronic products

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 13.020.01 ISBN 978-2-8322-3283-5

– 2 – IEC TR 62824:2016 © IEC 2016
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references. 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Relationship between material efficiency and ECD . 7
5 Material aspects for material efficiency . 9
5.1 Material type and material quantity . 9
5.1.1 General . 9
5.1.2 Material type . 9
5.1.3 Material quantity . 9
5.2 Material substitutability . 9
5.3 Renewable material . 10
5.4 Material recyclability and material recoverability . 10
5.4.1 General . 10
5.4.2 Material recyclability . 10
5.4.3 Material recoverability . 11
5.5 Durability of product . 11
Bibliography . 12

Figure 1 – Illustration on integration of material aspects into the ECD process . 8

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
GUIDANCE ON MATERIAL EFFICIENCY CONSIDERATIONS
IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS DESIGN OF ELECTRICAL
AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
FOREWORD
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The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
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data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".
IEC TR 62824, which is a Technical Report, has been prepared by IEC technical committee
111: Environmental standardization for electrical and electronic products and systems.
The text of this Technical Report is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
111/391/DTR 111/411/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this Technical Report can be found in the
report on voting indicated in the above table.

– 4 – IEC TR 62824:2016 © IEC 2016
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INTRODUCTION
The natural resources of our planet are being depleted by the rapid growth of industry
including the production and use of electrical and electronic products. Materials are consumed
both directly and indirectly and lead to other environmental impacts, such as climate change.
As a consequence, there are an increasing number of policies and regulations being
considered or enacted at regional or national level to promote sustainable production while
minimizing environmental impacts. To meet these challenges, this Technical Report provides
information on how material efficiency considerations can be integrated into the
environmentally conscious design (ECD).
Material efficiency relates to the efficient use of materials over a product’s lifetime, including
its fabrication, distribution, use and disposal. Within this document, the following material
aspects are considered: material type, material quantity, material substitutability, use of
renewable material, material recyclability, material recoverability, and durability of product.
This document is intended to support ECD, but focuses on the efficient use of material within
products. Its aim is to facilitate the use of materials in an optimal way and thereby promote
the sustainability of natural resources.

– 6 – IEC TR 62824:2016 © IEC 2016
GUIDANCE ON MATERIAL EFFICIENCY CONSIDERATIONS
IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS DESIGN OF ELECTRICAL
AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
1 Scope
IEC 62824 which is a Technical Report provides information on selection and efficient use of
materials in electrical and electronic products. Environmentally conscious design (ECD) can
then proceed in such a way that aspects, including material type, material quantity, material
substitutability, renewable material, material recyclability, material recoverability, and
durability of product are taken into account during the design phase.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
None.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
environmentally conscious design
ECD
systematic approach which takes into account environmental aspects in the design and
development process with the aim to reduce adverse environmental impacts
[SOURCE: IEC 62430:2009, 3.6]
3.2
material
substance or mixture within a product or product part
[SOURCE: IEC 62474:2012, 3.4]
3.3
material efficiency
comparative indicator of material used for a product to provide a particular function
Note 1 to entry: Material efficiency can be assessed by considering aspects such as: material type, material
quantity, material substitutability, use of renewable material, material recyclability, material recoverability, and
durability of product.
Note 2
...