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A Plan-Do-Check-Act Framework for WEEE and RoHS Randa Ahmed Musbah El-Gomla MPhil University of Bradford 2011 A Plan-Do-Check-Act Framework for WEEE and RoHS A model for Implementing WEEE and RoHS by Integrating Eco- design Factors and Activities into Business Operation and Strategy Randa Ahmed Musbah El-Gomla MPhil Submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy School of Engineering, Design and Technology University of Bradford 2011 ABSTRACT “A PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT FRAMEWORK FOR WEEE and RoHS” A model for Implementing WEEE and RoHS by Integrating Eco-design into Business Operation Randa El-Gomla Keywords Eco-design, WEEE, RoHS, Design-For-Environment (DFE), Sustainable Development, Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing (ECM), Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD), Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Environmentally Conscious Production (ECP), Life Cycle Thinking, ISO 14000, ISO 14001, Environmental Management System (EMS), Eco-design Framework, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Improvement Cycle, Recycling, Reuse. Eco-design is relatively new and fast growing field of research due to its vital importance to the manufacturing industry and its related environmental issues such as reducing waste, and CO2 emission. A major EU programme relating to the environment is the waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. The (WEEE) directive specifies ten categories and a voltage range which is up to 1.000 volts AC or 1.500volts DC. The developed framework came for the implementation of Eco-design principles that helps to take into account the adaption of the (WEEE) directive and the restriction of hazard substances (RoHS) used in electrical and electronic equipments. As a result of identify gaps and needs such as a lack of a comprehensive Eco-design framework and the need to integrate it to the normal business operation. In this research the PDCA framework for Eco-design and WEEE directive will be discussed. The framework will encompass all of the Eco-design‘s implementation and integration factors and activities such as WEEE and RoHS directives, Eco-design management, Environmental legislations, Eco-design tools and considerations. The literature review covers the topic of Eco-design‘s related issues, and WEEE and RoHS directives rules. Based on comprehensive questionnaire survey of Eco-design, WEEE and RoHS issues and activities among a sample of environmentally aware companies, statistical analysis is carried out using SPSS software. Then the findings of the survey triangulated with the findings of the literature review formed the basis of the design and implementation plan of the proposed framework iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of many other people. I would like to thank my supervisors Prof. Raed Abd-Alhameed and Dr. Chedly Tizaoui for their support and invaluable guidance throughout this research. I owe my deepest gratitude to my husband for his unlimited support, motivation and encouragement throughout the course of this work. Huge thanks for my children for their patience and putting up with me while I was busy with the research. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... XII LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... XIII CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 APPRECIATION OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE THESIS ........................................... 2 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH .......................................................... 3 1.4 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................................... 4 1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH ........................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 8 2.1 HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Sustainable Development ............................................................................ 10 2.1.2 Motivations for sustainable development ................................................... 13 2.1.2.1 Legislation ........................................................................................... 13 2.1.2.1.1 WEEE Directive ............................................................................ 15 2.1.2.1.2 RoHS ............................................................................................. 20 2.1.2.2 Ideal end-of-life management of electric and electronic products ...... 22 2.1.2.3 Competition ......................................................................................... 23 2.1.2.4 Consumer Pressure .............................................................................. 24 2.2 ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS MANUFACTURING (ECM) ............................ 25 2.2.1 The product life cycle .................................................................................. 26 2.2.2 Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD) ................................................ 27 2.3 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT LCA ....................................................................... 28 2.3.1 The steps involved in LCA ........................................................................... 29 v 2.4 ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS PRODUCTION (ECP) ..................................... 31 2.5 ECO-DESIGN .................................................................................................... 31 2.5.1 Eco-Design golden rules ............................................................................. 32 2.5.2 Eco-Design drivers and impediments ......................................................... 33 2.5.2.1 Eco-Design drivers .............................................................................. 33 2.5.2.2 Eco-Design impediments .................................................................... 35 2.5.3 ISO 14000 family of standards .................................................................... 36 2.5.4 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) .............................................. 37 2.6 ECO-DESIGN ACTIVITIES .................................................................................. 38 2.6.1 Eco-Design process definition .................................................................... 38 2.6.2 Eco-Design principles ................................................................................. 38 2.6.3 Design for X (DFX) ..................................................................................... 46 2.6.3.1 Design for Assembly (DFA) ............................................................... 46 2.6.3.2 Design for Disassembly (DFD) ........................................................... 46 2.6.3.3 Design For Recycling (DFR) .............................................................. 52 2.6.3.4 Design for Manufacture (DFM) .......................................................... 57 2.6.3.5 Design for Quality (DFQ) ................................................................... 57 2.6.3.6 Design for Serviceability (DFS).......................................................... 58 2.6.3.7 Design for Testability (DFT) .............................................................. 58 2.7 ECO-DESIGN TOOLS ......................................................................................... 59 2.7.1 Tools for analysis of environmental strengths and weaknesses .................. 59 2.7.2 Tools for enhancing creativity and finding ideas ........................................ 61 2.7.3 Tools for setting priorities, making decisions, and selecting the most important areas of potential improvements ............................................................ 62 2.7.4 Tools for cost estimation / environmental cost accounting ......................... 64 2.8 ECO-DESIGN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT ................................................... 65 2.8.1 Motivators for using performance measurement ........................................ 65 2.8.2 Eco-Design performance levels .................................................................. 65 2.9 PROBLEM DEFINITION ....................................................................................... 66 2.10 CRITIQUE ON THE LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 66 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .......................... 69 vi 3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES ...........................................................................