The newly created Publicly Available Specification (PAS 141) for reusable electrical/electronic products: Goals and research needs for successful uptake

In 2011, a governmental initiative driven by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills invited the British Standards Institute (BSI) to write and publish a Publically Available Specification (PAS) for the reuse of waste electrical and electronic equipment entitled PAS 141. The specification’s ambitious goals, chief among them to reduce the amount of e-waste generated in the United Kingdom, has prompted debate as to whether they are realistic and the extent to which they can be influenced by the certification. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework that can be used in future research to enhance understanding of the mechanisms by which the introduction of PAS 141 certification could lead to the fulfillment of its goals, that is, successful uptake. We believe this framework can serve as a roadmap for those interested in the investigation of this novel certification and its effect on the market for reusable electrical and electronic products.