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.