As part of the Sustainability theme day on March 19, 2026 Dan Belke of the Institute for Joining and Welding Technology at TU Braunschweig examined the conductor set from the perspective of the circular economy as a central field of action for the transformation of the automotive industry.

As a highly complex key component of modern vehicle architectures – with lengths of up to 8 km and a weight of around 60 kg – the wiring harness currently lacks established closed-loop recycling and return pathways. Against this backdrop, the "Green On-Board Network" working group is conducting a systematic evaluation based on the 9R methodology. Refuse, Repurpose, and Reuse/Refurbish/Remanufacture are currently considered not practically relevant, while the focus is on Rethink, Reduce, and especially Recycle.

The "Rethink" phase focuses on aspects such as material selection, design for recycling, and the further development of the architecture. Additionally, the reduction of material and energy consumption is addressed, while in the area of ​​recycling, automated disassembly approaches – including at the complete vehicle level – are highlighted as promising.

Key impact categories identified include global warming potential (GWP/PCF), acidification potential, resource consumption, energy demand, and recyclability or circularity. Specific innovation approaches, such as bio-based and mass-balanced compounds for insulation or the use of 100% recycled copper as conductor material, demonstrate measurable potential in these dimensions.

The article makes it clear that sustainable wiring harness components go far beyond symbolic measures: They enable gradual ecological improvements, support the development of closed material cycles and thus make a substantial contribution to the transformation of the automotive supply industry towards a regenerative circular economy.

Further information about the ifs at TU Braunschweig can be found at: tu-braunschweig.de/ifs