Electronic waste reduction through devices and printed circuit boards designed for circularity

Chakraborty, M. , Kettle, J. and Dahiya, R. (2022) Electronic waste reduction through devices and printed circuit boards designed for circularity. IEEE Journal on Flexible Electronics, 1(1), pp. 4-23. (doi: 10.1109/JFLEX.2022.3159258)

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Abstract

The development of Printed Circuit boards (PCBs) has so far followed a traditional linear economy value chain, leading to high volumes of waste production and loss of value at the end-of-life. Consequentially, the electronics industry requires a transition to more sustainable practices. This review article presents an overview of the potential solutions and new opportunities that may arise from the greater use of emerging sustainable materials and resource-efficient manufacturing. A brief contextual summary about how the international management of Waste PCBs (WPCBs) and legalization have evolved over the past 20 years is presented along with a review of the existing materials used in PCBs. The environmental and human health assessment of these materials relative to their usage with PCBs is also explained. This enables the identification of which eco-friendly materials and new technologies will be needed to improve the sustainability of the industry. Following this, a comprehensive analysis of existing WPCB processing is presented. Finally, a detailed review of potential solutions is provided, which has been partitioned by the use of emerging sustainable materials and resource-efficient manufacturing. It is hoped that this discussion will transform existing manufacturing facilities and inform policies, which currently focus on waste management towards waste reduction and zero waste.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This work is supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) through Engineering Fellowship (EP/R029644/1), Programme GrantHeteroprint (EP/R03480X/1), IAA grant (EP/R511705/1) and North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing project funded by the European Union’s INTERREG programme (H2020-Intereg-IVA5055), managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Kettle, Professor Jeff and Dahiya, Professor Ravinder and Chakraborty, Dr Moupali
Authors: Chakraborty, M., Kettle, J., and Dahiya, R.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
Journal Name:IEEE Journal on Flexible Electronics
Publisher:IEEE
ISSN:2768-167X
ISSN (Online):2768-167X
Published Online:14 March 2022
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2022 The Authors
First Published:First published in IEEE Journal on Flexible Electronics 1(1): 4-23
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
301728Engineering Fellowships for Growth: Printed Tactile SKINRavinder DahiyaEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R029644/1ENG - Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering
301327`Hetero-print: A holistic approach to transfer-printing for heterogeneous integration in manufacturingPeter SkabaraEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R03480X/1ENG - Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering
304896EPSRC-IAA: Early Stage Commercialisation of a PET Imaging Agent for the Detection of Cardiovascular Disease and CancerAndrew SutherlandEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R511705/1Chemistry