Greentech goes IFA: The Cradle to Cradle NGO is calling on the electronics industry to rethink with a new position paper. Linearly produced devices must be replaced by true circular concepts – a key topic that will also be a focus at TransformIT Europe 2026.
By Jan Nintemann and Jochen Siegle; Photo: Fairphone
At IFA Berlin 2025, the Cradle to Cradle NGO will present a paper showing how circular products can transform consumer electronics. The goal is to develop devices that do not become e-waste but serve as raw material storage for the future. In C2C jargon, this is called “Material Health” or material-healthy products.
Circularity Instead of E-waste
Because materials in smartphones, televisions, or household appliances are still so tightly bound together that they can hardly be recycled. Valuable raw materials such as gold, palladium, or cobalt are lost. The consequence: environmental pollution and geopolitical dependencies.
The Cradle-to-Cradle principle (C2C) starts here: In a true circular economy, waste does not exist. Materials remain in the cycle, either biologically or technically. Products are designed modularly, can be easily disassembled, and the materials can be reused.
This also makes new business models like Product-as-a-Service possible.
Products without Waste – between Vision and Reality
The position paper provides important impulses but remains partly visionary. Although pilot projects such as modular smartphones or recycling solder exist, widespread implementation in the industry is not yet in sight. Many manufacturers hesitate because transparent supply chains and fair standards require higher investments.
At the upcoming TransformIT Europe 2026 in Brussels, Circular Economy will be a central topic. Already at the 2025 kick-off, one of the main focuses was on circular economy – with experts like Dr. Christoph Soukup from the Steinbeis Consulting Center Circular Economy.
Circular Economy and C2c at TransformIT Europe 2026
For 2026, the TransformIT Europe 2026 Team plans to showcase numerous circular economy and Cradle-to-Cradle projects – including with the “Godfather” of the concept: Prof. Michael Braungart, who co-developed the C2C principle.
The transformation from linear to circular production is not a simple process. It requires investments, new standards, and a political rethinking. But the pressure is growing: resources are becoming scarcer, while the demand for electronics is rising.
C2C could be the key to making the industry future-proof – if companies, politics, and consumers participate.
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