Joining Technologies and Extended Producer Responsibility: A Review on Sustainability and End-of-Life Management of Metal Structures

Joining technologies play a decisive role in the sustainability, circularity, and end-of-life performance of metal structures. Despite the increasing emphasis on low-impact manufacturing and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the connection between joining methods and producers’ environmental obligations remains underexplored. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of conventional and emerging techniques, including fusion welding, solid-state welding, mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, and hybrid and AM-assisted processes, examining how each technology influences material efficiency, durability, repairability, disassembly, and recyclability. Particular attention is devoted to the effects of joint characteristics on life-cycle impacts, waste generation, and the technical and economic feasibility of high-quality material recovery, using recent LCA evidence and industrial case studies from automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace, and consumer products. Building on this analysis, the review proposes qualitative checklists and semi-quantitative scoring schemes to compare joining options under EPR-relevant criteria and to identify best- and worst-case design scenarios. Finally, promising research directions are outlined, including reversible and debond-on-demand solutions, low-energy solid-state routes, joining strategies for multi-material yet recyclable structures, and the integration of digital twins and LCA-informed design tools, offering a roadmap for metal structures that align technical performance with EPR-driven end-of-life management.