Overview
85% of electronic waste ends up in landfill or is incinerated. There are currently over 1 billion connected, portable devices in use and the market continues to grow. The market growth and high waste rate will lead to significant environmental impacts and non-compliance with the EU Ecodesign Regulation. To reduce the environmental impact, wearables must become circular in the future.
In this project, circular design guidelines for textle wearables will be developed to ensure longevity, reusability and recyclability. In addition, cross-technology approaches for the integration of textile materials and electronic components will be investigated and implemented as part of technology scouting and feasibility studies. As a case study, a concept for an intelligent ECG shirt and other intelligent textiles will be designed in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The technical feasibility and circular design of the electronics through to the knitted fabric will be demonstrated in the form of feasibility analyses. The findings from the pattern development and the conception of the shirt are mirrored and validated against the design guidelines.
