Can Design for Disassembly Principles Inform Policy for E-Textiles Waste?

The adoption of circular principles by the EU and UK have led to greater focus on waste streams and the recoverability of materials and components. This has translated into regulations such as WEEE for electronic waste. Textiles and nanomaterials lag behind with no definitive waste legislation. As e-textiles are generally made up of a combination of these three components, it means e-textile products end up in electrical recycling facilities where textile components are disposed of in landfill or incinerated together with embedded nanomaterials. Consultations with recycling facilities indicate product design is key in preparing for disassembly and recycling. By embedding design for disassembly thinking into the research and development of new e-textiles, this study aims to test whether e-waste policy can be informed by design for disassembly principles. The motivation for this research is to find an anticipatory legislative solution for future e-textiles waste.