Electronics compost

In the near future, outdated and broken gadgets may become compost and turn into fertilizer instead of poisoning the soil.

A group of young scientists from the research center of the University of Karlsruhe, one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in Germany, in their quest to reduce the burden of electronics on the environment, decided to develop printed electronics entirely from natural materials that will subsequently not emit toxins and harm the environment.

In recent years, the number of electronic devices, without which it is difficult to imagine modern life, has increased significantly, all this has led to the accumulation of millions of tons of electronic waste around the world.

Every year, tons of spare parts that have already outlived their service life end up in landfills, but the elements they contain (heavy metals, silicon, etc.) remain in the landfill and pose a danger to the environment (when decomposing, they release toxic substances that poison the soil and air).

Young researchers decided to use biodegradable materials (plant extracts and gelatin insulators) instead of traditional elements.

The researchers noted that such elements may not be particularly durable, but they could easily compete with disposable electronics.

The leader of the group of young scientists, Dr. Gerardo Hernandez-Sosa, explained that once the biodegradable element wears out, it can be easily disposed of by composting for recycling.

It is worth noting that other materials that have the word “organic” in their name are not organic at all and do not decompose in nature like the materials developed by young specialists from Germany.

All synthetic materials based on carbon are today called organic, however, this does not mean that such materials do not harm the environment later, when they become unnecessary and decompose for years in landfills.

In their work, the experts used natural materials – cellulose, starch, and solid gelatin – as a substrate instead of metalloids or metals.

Incidentally, recently a team of scientists from Wisconsin, also interested in creating harmless biodegradable electronics, made a semiconductor chip almost entirely out of wood – most of the chip consists of a substrate in which cellulose fiber (a flexible biodegradable wood material) is used instead of silicon.

A key part of the project to create biodegradable printed electronics will be the development of inks that, in addition to being environmentally friendly and conductive, could be easily compatible with printers.

Young specialists assume that organic electronics, which can be sent for recycling without harming the environment, will become available to consumers in a few years, immediately after all the necessary research and development is completed (scientists hope that all the work will take about 3 years).