Sustainable Electronics: Understanding and Analysing Sustainability Aspects of Printed Electronics

Transitioning from conventional Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to future electronic products based on Hybrid and Printed Electronics (HPE) provides immediate opportunities to achieve ecological benefits: use of recyclable thermoplastic polymers, reduced device thickness, lower weight and additive manufacturing instead of deductive manufacturing. You will learn about the environmental impact of Hybrid and Printed Electronics and what is needed to adapt this technology to circular economy. In both types of electronics, PCBs and HPE, the circuitry and surface mounted devices (SMDs) contain potentially critical, high impact metals, some of which, if not all, are embedded in plastics to protect them from external influences. Designs-for-recycling are relatively unexplored, leaving many critical metals trapped in their plastic casing. You will learn about example designs-for-recycling for HPE and their (potential) impact to the overall environmental footprint.