The environmental and human health risk of e-Waste
Electronic goods, by their very nature, contain Printed Circuit Boards (PCB’s) that at their end-of-life, will at best be stripped of valuable materials such as gold. Meaning that some 95% or more will end up as landfill.
The amount of electronics entering landfill is staggering, and always includes a mixture of metals and materials that can take many millennia to break down, if at all. Though there is little known about the long-term effect of burying PCB’s, as they are relatively new, the compounds can leak out into the surrounding landscape and water table. Most of us accept that sending to landfill what could otherwise be useful such as viable components and recoverable precious metals is not desirable or, in our newly enlightened world, acceptable.
The global PCB market is estimated to reach $89.7 Billion by 2024, with a CAGR of 4.3% from 2019 to 2024. The major growth drivers for this market focus on the increasing demands in the communication industry. Growth in connected devices, advancement in automotive electronics, and increasing demand for electronic enabled devices within the Internet of Things (IoT) means that this situation of burying our discarded electronics is only set to get worse.
How are In2tec working to change this?
For the last decade, In2tec have invested in research and development to provide sustainable and green electronic assemblies. Just because a product has reached the end of its’ life, this does not mean that the components or materials attached to it are no longer viable, useful, or indeed invaluable.
Our dedicated research has resulted in a significant increase in the recyclability of PCB’s, from what is typically under 5%, to over 90% recyclable. By using validated alternatives to traditional solder assembly, components can be removed, ’un-zipped’, to return them back to their individual parts. Therefore, allowing for the reuse of components and precious materials, and thus building a true circular economy and significantly reducing e-waste.
Current research is underway to define the high-volume processes to enable specialised recycling centres to extract and clean the components, generating a secondary market for subsequent reuse. This would not be possible without the investment already made by In2tec, as the traditional methods of PCBA production, typically driven by low-cost manufacturing, make the extraction and cleaning of components near impossible.
As more OEM’s strive towards sustainability targets, and consumers and governments increasingly demand a responsible approach from all concerned, it is imperative that we all continue to invest in order to protect us and future generations from the risk to environmental and human health caused by e-waste.
Our capabilities – driven by our design philosophy that “nothing is impossible”
At our core, everything we do is underpinned by the belief that “nothing is impossible”. To this end, we have developed a strength that allows us to bring together disparate and often conflicting design requirements, to provide systems and solutions that offer greater efficiency and better ergonomic design, through the breaking down of design and barriers and solving the most challenging problems.
Let us help you achieve your technology wish list
So how could our capabilities, innovation, and experience help you achieve your technology wish list whilst meeting the demands of your product specification?
To find out how we can benefit you with our technology and capabilities, please get in touch with us today:
T + 44 (0)1536 419200 (office hours GMT: 8.30am-5.00pm Mon-Thurs; 8.30am-2.30pm Fri)
For more information about In2tec technologies and capabilities, please visit http://www.in2tec.com/about-us
