Industry 4.0 Technologies Applied to Circular Economy Strategies in the Electronics Industry: A Literature-Based Analysis

The growing rate of electronic equipment usage and its subsequent disposal have posed a significant challenge for society in the last decades. Many manufacturing companies are now considering strategies which they may adopt to contribute to more responsible production and consumption trends. Amongst these, circular practices can present a viable way for companies to move forward in their sustainability journeys. Moreover, experts have discussed how the application of Circular Economy (CE) strategies can be enhanced using Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. This paper intends to gather scientific views related to such applications in the electronics industry through a systematic literature review. Records were obtained from both Scopus and Web of Science and then filtered according to the PRISMA guidelines. 28 papers were selected to be analysed according to the different digital technologies applied and to the specific circularity strategies they tackle. The analysis of the results allows for the mapping of the intersection of these two areas. Moreover, the combinations of technologies and strategies that are yet to be tackled in the literature regarding the electronics sector are highlighted, providing insights that view to guide future research and industrial activities. © 2025, AIDI-Italian Association of Industrial Operations Professors. All rights reserved.