ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
REPAIR, REPURPOSE, RECYCLE.
In that order.
This is what green electronics should be like - and at Think Radio - it is!
It's closely tied with "Right to Repair"*.
Everything comes apart.
Really easily.
Everything is a replaceable part.
When it comes time to recycle - then all the aluminium and stainless steel parts are easily recovered - as is the lithium battery.
One PCB is pure aluminium.
The Fresnel/Zorya lens in the centre is made by a Finnish company (Ledil) with excellent credentials.
And the microcontroller by a Norwegian company (Nordic Semiconductor) - also at the top of their green-game.
However it's also necessary to think about the product *in use*.
How light and easy it is to transport.
How much electricity it uses (and how much of that ends up as heat rather than light).
Z-RAY is at the cutting edge.
The final part - not shown in this prototype - is the enclosure.
Z-RAY likes to put the electronics on show!
The only essential is protection against accidental damage - and again, is composed of replaceable parts, intended to maximise the lifetime of the product.
(*Manufacturers of consumer electronics aren't too keen on right-to-repair, because it means opening the doors to all sorts of support issues, as well as the possible effects on revenue. The professional electronics market is different - as the manufacturer will often be working with the buyer's own engineers).