Review of the end-of-life solutions in electronics-based smart textiles

Research and development of new products in the smart textile field is growing rapidly because of versatile application areas. There is an extensive focus on the integration of electronics into textiles. However, if different fields are merged, as here, the sustainability and recycling issues might descend into even more complex systems. The article reviews current research and development conducted on the end-of-life (EOL) solutions for electronic textiles (e-textiles). Chosen papers had to be peer-reviewed, written in English, and address the EOL issue for electronic-based smart textiles. The search resulted in 18 publications, which indicates a low amount of research but also the serious lack of legislation and actual solutions emerged in this multidisciplinary field. Three main themes were found: smart textile services, eco-design strategy and educating guidelines. Authors suggest taking urgent actions by preventive steps in combining current electronics and textile waste management systems into one standard for e-textiles.

Automated summary

Research and development in the smart textile field is rapidly expanding, with a focus on integrating electronics into textiles. However, this merging of different fields has led to complex sustainability and recycling issues. Current literature on end-of-life solutions for electronic textiles is limited, highlighting a lack of legislation and practical solutions in this multidisciplinary field.