In many conversations with electronics manufacturers, we keep hearing the same sentence:

“We know we need to address the circular economy, but we don’t know where to start.”

This uncertainty is not an isolated case. It reflects just how firmly the topic has now arrived in organisations and how challenging the entry point often appears.

The pressure is coming from several directions at once:

• New regulatory requirements are becoming more concrete. 
• Customers and retail partners increasingly expect transparent and sustainable solutions.
• Internal sustainability targets are gaining importance.

What was once seen as a long-term strategic topic has now become an operational necessity. And this is precisely where the challenge arises: between external pressure and internal implementation, there is often a lack of clear direction.

Particularly in the electronics sector, the circular economy quickly becomes complex. It is no longer just about recycling. Companies need to navigate extended producer responsibility across different markets, understand take-back and disposal systems, and consider material choices and product life cycles. These topics cut across multiple functions – from regulatory and product development to procurement and sales.

In practice, this often leads to fundamental questions:

• Who takes ownership internally?
• Which requirements are already relevant today, and which are only emerging?
• And where is there a real and immediate need for action?

What we frequently observe is this: many companies either do not start at all, or they start in several places at once. Both responses are understandable, but rarely effective. Either action is delayed because developments are not yet fully clear, or isolated measures are launched without being embedded in a broader overall picture. The focus is often on visible topics such as recycling, while structural and regulatory questions remain unresolved in the background.

The result is often stagnation, even though the issue itself has long been recognised.

Yet getting started with the circular economy does not require large-scale programmes or comprehensive transformations. The more effective first step is much simpler: developing a clear picture of your current situation.

Companies should begin by understanding where they are affected from a regulatory perspective, which products and markets are relevant, and where concrete obligations or risks already exist today. Only once these questions are clearly answered does real orientation emerge.

And this orientation is the foundation for everything that follows. It enables organisations to set clear priorities, define targeted measures, and allocate resources effectively. From this clarity comes the ability to act.

The circular economy is not something you start “somewhere”. But it is something that can be approached in a structured and pragmatic way if the starting point is right.

Many companies are currently facing exactly this challenge — knowing what to do, but not where to start.

This is where 1cc and our sister company TechProtect come in: we help bring structure into complexity, create transparency, and guide you step by step towards a practical and compliant circular economy strategy.

Get in touch with us to explore how we can support your journey towards circularity.