SEI is dedicated to developing and implementing sustainable means for the design, manufacturing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electronics (computers, cell phones, televisions, printers, etc.)

[2] SEI conducts collaborative research with professors and industry representatives, facilitates networking and information exchange among its participants, promotes the diffusion of technology through demonstration projects, and it provides a forum for discussion of applicable policies and legislation.

In 2009, SEI hosted "Truth, Tragedy, and Transformation of E-Waste," the first free public talk in a lecture series presented by the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Design for Energy and the Environment was the first annual symposium hosted by SEI, which included presentations from representatives from industry, government agencies, and academia.

[13] The DEE Lab is a new campus research laboratory bringing together faculty and students from design, marketing, business and engineering to solve real world product development problems for industry.

DEE Lab integrates research and instruction to solve real world problems for industry while preparing students for leadership positions in collaborative product development.

DEE Lab’s design process methodology combines customer, technology, business and marketing research with structured analysis, interdisciplinary brainstorming, rapid prototyping and evaluation.

Six of the teams were awarded a total of fifteen thousand dollars in scholarships provided by industry sponsors Wal-Mart, Dell, Motorola and Microsoft.