Sustainable Electronics
PCB recycling: A solution to electronics’ sustainability problem?
Sustainability is becoming a significant challenge in the rapidly evolving world of electronics. In this article, Ben Howell from the intellectual property firm Venner Shipley LLP explores new technological developments in this area which represent promising steps in overcoming the e-waste problem.
E of Things’. Recently, a patent 1
lectronics and communications technologies are being placed into more and more everyday objects. Nothing seems safe from being made ‘smart’ as part of the ‘Internet was even
granted for a ‘smart belt’ which projects an arrow with the aim of aiding navigation. New technologies can also make old devices feel obsolete ever more quickly. This has led to a significant rise in the volume of e-waste produced. A UN report 2 found that over 60 billion kilograms (kg) was generated globally in 2022, up from 34 billion kg in 2010, and projected to reach 82 billion kg by 2030.
The challenges go beyond mere volume of e-waste. Much of the e-waste is sent to landfill and the chemicals and metals in e-waste mean that much of it is toxic, making up 70 per cent of hazardous waste going to landfill 3
. The UN report found
that unmanaged e-waste led to 58 tonnes of mercury and 45 thousand tonnes of bromide-containing plastics entering the
environment each year. Furthermore, the mining of lithium, silicon, copper and rare metals does significant harm, leading to pollution, land damage, biodiversity loss, and high carbon emissions.
Of course, electronics are themselves an important aspect of the transition towards a more sustainable future generally. We have seen a significant rise in patents relating to electric vehicles (EV), solar panels and battery technologies, with the number of published EV patent families per year tripling between 2010 and 2023 4
. It is critical to ensure that
these sustainability solutions do not bring additional problems.
An obvious solution to this problem is recycling. By recycling PCBs and electronic components, we can reduce almost every one of the environmental impacts of the electronics sector. Recycling can decrease
40 December/January 2025 Components in Electronics
www.cieonline.co.uk
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