Environmental Management in Electronics Manufacturing* Available to Purchase

Concern over global environmental pollution has resulted in a raft of new legislation, a major impact of which has been fundamental re‐evaluation of processing technologies used within the electronics manufacturing industry. Although compliance remains a key driver for change, other factors (e.g., market, social, new business opportunities) are also providing significant pressures. Assessments of how to control pollution have led to a much deeper appreciation of how to manage this dramatic impact on the industry. In the short‐term, the key is dealing with emissions from current premises and processes. But in the longer‐term,improvements are only possible by designing products to minimise the whole‐life environmental impact (e.g., avoiding hazardous materials, minimising waste, designing for re‐use and recycling). Crucial to the success of both short‐term and long‐term activities are the motivation and co‐operation of the workforce,together with the commitment and support of management. This paper examines some of the pressures on the industry, highlights several of the resultant technical and management challenges, and briefly outlines how one company is successfully addressing these challenges.