We are facing an evident increase in the amount of electronic waste and over-consumption of rare raw materials. To overcome this and to confirm sustainable development of electronics a holistic approach combining the use of sustainable materials and processes with eco-design for sustainable electronics has to be implemented.    

Selecting the raw materials is in key role, the use of renewable materials, including cellulose based alternatives should be promoted whereas the usage of CRMs should be avoided. Material traceability and product passports should also be considered whenever feasible. In manufacturing, additive methods have the advantage in decreasing material losses during manufacturing. Product design with circularity & sustainability aspect in mind is in key role when possibilities for reusability and re-cyclability are to be increased. For instance, modular design with possibility to disintegrate components and subsystems for efficient recycling or reuse is among the solutions towards sustainable products. In design phase, also careful consideration of the end-of-life strategies including processes to recycle, reuse and repair electronics is necessary. In addition to the environmental sustainability, social and economical sustainability especially in the use phase of the product should be taken into account.

This presentation will give an overview of the holistic approach towards sustainable electronics by describing e.g. how global warming potential of flexible electronics can be decreased with almost 90% [1,2]. Examples will be given on material selections effecting the environmental impact and performance of the device [3]. Possibilities of energy efficient, printing based manufacturing methods for flexible electronics will be presented [4] and alternative options as conducting materials and substrates, including cellulose based materials will be discussed [5]. Finally, a qualitative method for holistic sustainability evaluation will be presented.    

References

[1] Mohammad Naji Nassajfar et al. Sustainability. 2021, 13(21):12126

[2] Marja Välimäki et al. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 2020, 111(1):325-339.

[3] Enni Luoma et al. 2022 Polymers 14, 1863.

[4] Hakola et al. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 2021, 117, 2921–2934

[5] Kirsi Immonen et al. Materials 2022, 15, 2679