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To meet the demanding recycling rates of the European Directive on Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE), plastic parts of electrical and electronic equipment have to be designed for high recyclability. Today, most plastic housings of handheld devices carry a finish, e.g. paint, which inhibits recycling. Against this background Motorola investigated the recyclability of in-mold decorated (IMD) plastic parts in close co-operation with Kunststoff-Institut Luedenscheid, Germany. Goal of the study was to identify material combinations for IMD parts that are highly recyclable and environmental friendly. For testing, IMD decorated parts were ground and different blends with virgin material were molded into standard test bars to determine mechanical properties. The hard-coat of special IMD films turned out as the component that inhibits recycling. As a result of the study the recyclable material combination of PMMA-film, transparent PC resin and PMMA- or PCbased ink was identified as environmentally preferred solution for in-mold decorated plastic housings of handheld devices. Blended with PC/ABS, it is of sufficient strength to serve again as housing material or could be used in a similar application.