Feature: Sustainability


the shores of developed countries and dumped in the most underdeveloped. In 2019, global e-waste amounted to 53.6m metric tonnes (Mt), as reported in the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor. Tis is substantially more than the weight of all the adults in Europe combined. Te report also details that of this e-waste, only 17.4% was collected and recycled. Te gold, platinum, copper and other high-value recoverable materials, conservatively valued at over $5bn – a sum greater than the Gross Domestic Product of most countries – was mostly dumped or burned, rather than being collected for reuse. Furthermore, e-waste rates are rising at


an alarming rate. Te UN’s Global E-waste Monitor’s projections show that by 2030 e-waste generation will amount to over 74m Mt per year, almost doubling annual e-waste in just 16 years. Landfill is oſten seen as the cheapest and easiest solution: But at what cost?


So, is this our legacy? Te problem lies in the fact that it is currently not commercially viable to recycle PCBAs, leading to a thriving black market in illegal transportation of e-waste to developing countries. Once there, it is unethically processed, damaging the environment and every living thing in it. Interpol found that one in three


containers of waste exported from Europe contained illegal e-waste. As far back as the end of 2012, Operation Enigma saw the participation of police, customs, port authorities, environmental and maritime law enforcement agencies of seven European and African countries. Te operation aimed to identify and disrupt the illegal collection, recycling, export, import and shipping of discarded electronic products such as computers, televisions and other electronic devices before they are dumped in landfills, or other sites where they can cause severe environmental and human harm. Checks were conducted at major ports


in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, all within Europe – a region considered to be a common source of electronic waste shipped internationally;


The technology allows for


components to be populated at low


temperatures, saving energy, and it also allows their removal from PCBs with boiling water


and in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria, citing Africa as the region considered to be the favourite destination for this waste. Almost one-third of the checks resulted in the discovery of illegal electronic waste.


So, what can we do about it? In response to the simple question ‘How can we increase our ability to recycle and reuse e-waste?’ the answer to date has driven us to where we are today, dumping it in the ground, or burning it and hoping the future will not catch up with us. But, at In2tec we believe our ReUSE Highly Recyclable Electronic Circuit Boards are the answer and that shiſt the world needs. In2tec and Sun Chemical have


developed a series of ultra-low temperature releasable adhesives, manufacturing (ReUSE) and recycling processes (ReCYCLE) for the fabrication of electronic circuit assemblies. Te technology allows for components to be populated at low temperatures, saving energy, and it also allows their easy removal from PCBs with boiling water. Tis ‘unzipping’ technique means even complex components can be extracted easily and cleanly from used PCBs and returned for a second life, driving a circular economy of used parts and enabling PCBs to have up to 100% recyclability. Such a process means that a component’s usefulness does not have to end just because the PCB has reached its end of useful life. In creating a truly circular economy


with the generation of secondary markets in used components, their life is extended beyond that of discontinued OEM parts and the demand is reduced for illegal- market component copies. Te UK has the potential to lead the


world in taking a stand on PCB and electronics recyclability and component reuse, helping protect the world for us as well as future generations.


Three main goals Carbon footprint reduction, circular economy and e-waste reduction are the three main goals we strive for today on our path to minimise our environmental impact. Year 2021 figures show that e-waste


reached a staggering 57.4m Mt. If solutions like ReUSE and ReCYCLE technologies and processes were implemented in just 2.5% of the global PCBAs, it would save the CO2


equivalent of planting 91 million


mature trees every year. If only 10% of PCBAs manufactured in 2023 were recyclable, it could prevent 6m Mt of e-waste, equivalent to the weight of 600 Eiffel Towers. Te beauty is that there’s no need to


change the functionality, quality or fit of the electronics to significantly improve its sustainability or circular opportunity. But, globally, we must all change our approach to electronics design and manufacture to address these problems together. In2tec’s design philosophy is that


nothing is impossible. In2tec has been at the forefront of innovation in Flexible Electronics and Smart HMI for 20+ years. It started to work towards truly sustainable electronics in 2007 and it has since continued along the path to sustainability. We are British-based, and our mission


is to ‘Protect the World for Future Generations by Inspiring Sustainable Electronics’. We will continue to do this by hiring next-generation thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs to make sure we meet our goal of eliminating landfill e-waste through 100% recycling of substrates, conductive circuits and electronic components, via ultra-low energy unzipping and second-life usage for constituent parts.


www.electronicsworld.co.uk March 2023 37


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44