Consumer Electronics (General)

Material Composition Assumptions

This category covers a broad range of consumer electronics not individually scored, including tablets, smart speakers, wireless earbuds, gaming consoles, e-readers, wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers), home networking equipment (routers, mesh systems), and miscellaneous peripherals (mice, keyboards, webcams).

The default bill of materials for a representative consumer electronics device (approximately 4.3 kg weighted average) includes:

• Plastics and polymers (ABS, polycarbonate, nylon): approximately 35% by mass
• Ferrous and non-ferrous metals (steel, aluminum, copper): approximately 30% by mass
• Printed circuit boards (FR-4 laminate with copper traces, solder): approximately 10% by mass
• Display components (glass, LCD/OLED panels, LED backlights): approximately 10% by mass
• Batteries (lithium-ion, lithium-polymer): approximately 8% by mass
• Semiconductor content (ICs, sensors, memory): approximately 2% by mass (but ~30% of embodied carbon)
• Other (cables, magnets, packaging): approximately 5% by mass

The mass-weighted average of 35 kgCO2e/kg aligns with the Teehan & Kandlikar finding of 27-39 kgCO2e/kg for ICT products, positioned conservatively within that range.

Manufacturing Geography

The default manufacturing region is China and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia), which collectively account for the majority of global consumer electronics assembly.

• Grid intensity: 565 gCO2e/kWh (IEA 2024, China average). Southeast Asian grids vary: Vietnam ~480 gCO2e/kWh, Malaysia ~600 gCO2e/kWh, Thailand ~470 gCO2e/kWh.
• Rationale: China remains the dominant region for final assembly of most consumer electronics categories. Semiconductor content is sourced from Taiwan, South Korea, and increasingly the United States. The blended grid intensity for component-level manufacturing is estimated at 530-570 gCO2e/kWh.

Regional Variation

Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated Score Adjustment
EU average	~300 gCO2e/kWh	-47% on Scope 2 (saves ~11 kgCO2e)
USA average	~390 gCO2e/kWh	-31% on Scope 2 (saves ~7 kgCO2e)
Japan	~460 gCO2e/kWh	-19% on Scope 2 (saves ~4 kgCO2e)
India	~700 gCO2e/kWh	+24% on Scope 2 (adds ~6 kgCO2e)
Nordic (Sweden/Norway)	~30 gCO2e/kWh	-95% on Scope 2 (saves ~22 kgCO2e)

Note: Scope 2 accounts for approximately 15% of the total footprint. Because this is a broad category average, actual regional adjustments depend heavily on the specific product type and its Scope 2 share.

Provenance Override Guidance

Because this is a general category, provenance overrides are especially encouraged. A supplier or manufacturer may override the default CCI score by submitting:

1. Product-specific LCA or PCF conducted per ISO 14040/14044 or ISO 14067, covering the specific product rather than the category average.
2. EPA USEEIO sector-specific emission factors applied to the product’s bill of materials and manufacturing cost structure.
3. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) registered with an EPD program operator (e.g., EPD International, UL Environment).
4. Manufacturer sustainability reports with product-level carbon footprint data, provided they are third-party verified.

For products that fall into this general category, users should migrate to a product-specific wiki entry (e.g., smartphones, laptops) whenever one exists, as those entries provide higher-confidence scores.

Methodology Notes

• CCI score of 150 kgCO2e is a weighted average across common consumer electronics categories. Individual products vary dramatically: wireless earbuds may be 5-10 kgCO2e, while a gaming console is 100-200 kgCO2e and a large-screen TV approaches 500-900 kgCO2e.
• Confidence is medium because this is a broad category average rather than a product-specific assessment. The score is derived from aggregating published LCA data across multiple product types and weighting by approximate global sales volumes.
• Scope breakdown: Scope 3 dominates at 83% (125 kgCO2e), consistent with the general finding that upstream materials and component manufacturing account for 75-85% of consumer electronics lifecycle emissions. Scope 2 (assembly facility electricity) is approximately 15% (23 kgCO2e). Scope 1 (direct process emissions) is minimal at ~1% (2 kgCO2e).
• Per-kg intensity of 35 kgCO2e/kg is within the 27-39 kgCO2e/kg range reported by Teehan & Kandlikar for ICT products, positioned conservatively.
• Data gaps: This category is inherently imprecise. The EPA USEEIO model provides spend-based emission factors (kgCO2e per dollar) for electronics NAICS codes, but these are economic allocation-based and may not reflect the physical carbon intensity of specific products. Product-specific entries should always be preferred.
• Use-phase emissions are excluded from the CCI score. For reference, a TV used 4 hours/day adds approximately 40-80 kgCO2e/year; a gaming console adds 15-30 kgCO2e/year; a smart speaker adds 3-5 kgCO2e/year.
• Rapidly evolving category: New product types (VR headsets, AI home devices) may not be well represented by existing LCA literature. Scores for novel product types should be treated as low-confidence until product-specific data is available.