1. Impact of electrical and electronic products

The environment is a complex ecosystem. All human activities interact with this ecosystem, generating positive or, more generally, negative impacts. It is essential to realize that every product interacts with its environment at every stage of its life:

• at the design stage, through the choice of materials, processes and concepts;

• during manufacture, through the energy and materials consumed, and through the waste emitted;

• during distribution, by the means of transport used;

• during use, through the energy and materials consumed;

• finally, during end-of-life disposal, through the waste it generates, the energy and materials consumed in its processing, and the emissions associated with this processing....