Wearable tech at the end of the supply chain
The integration of information technology into textiles sounds cool but it does introduce a problem. Worn out textiles are commonly recycled into rags and eventually back to raw materials.
Are those processes easily adaptable to deal with information technology embedded in apparel? We have already seen the ill effects of electronics recycling in developing countries. Will IT integration worsen the problem? Will such items even be legal in Europe, where Germany requires a full-life-cycle accounting for a product including a reverse logistics plan?
This article in Ecouterre gives a good short overview of the problem: http://www.ecouterre.com/will-wearable-technology-intensify-our-e-waste-problem/
I might add that the same issue exists albeit probably in an easier-to-deal-with form in the furniture industry where the current styles are so simple that there is little left for designers to do than integrate technology into furniture.