Unlocking Sustainable Value in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sector: A Value Network Approach

Extending the lifetime of household appliances, such as washing machines, is often not economically viable. Because environmental costs from the product life cycle are shifted to society, new appliances remain relatively inexpensive and sustainable alternatives are discouraged. In the literature we could not find any work that discusses how value networks in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) embed both sustainability and economic value across the product lifecycle. This study aims to develop an approach that supports the design of sustainability-oriented value networks in the EEE sector. Based on interviews and literature, e3value models are developed that address sustainability. Eco-costs are introduced as a potential means to make environmental impacts more visible and to explore how they might contribute to more responsible value creation and decision-making by network actors. Defined information requirements of value network actors indicate the data that support sustainability-related decision-making, highlighting the enabling role of Digital Product Passports. Further research should address quantitative assessments of eco-costs and their implications across different value network configurations and decision-making scenarios.