Electronic waste (e-waste) has become one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world. In fact, reports show that it is growing three times faster than the world’s population.   

When electronics reach their end-of-life, they’re often discarded, shipped off to landfills or incinerated. Most electronics contain a number of valuable metals as well as toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, meaning improper disposal can lead to valuable resources going to waste and potentially harmful health effects. 

“With this in mind, I aimed to move beyond a simple recycling solution to a circular one, ensuring long-term sustainability,” said Franziska Kerber, a university student from FH Joanneum in Graz.  

To do so, Franziska developed Paper Elecronics, a smart solution using recyclable and dissolvable printed circuit board (PCB) made from compressed ‘paper pulp’. The innovation was recently named a national winner of the 2024 James Dyson Awards, earning global recognition.    

Typically made from non-conductive materials like fibreglass or plastic, PCBs are integral components found in nearly all modern electronic devices including laptops, phones, tablets and smartwatches. While some companies have begun incorporating a ‘dissolution’ step in their product life cycles, these processes still require deconstruction to break down and recover the PCB before it can be recycled. 

Franziska’s innovation simplifies the end-of-life process, allowing the PCB to be easily disassembled down to its component parts. Rather than ending up in household waste at its end-of-life, users can simply arrange a return for the manufacturer to effectively dissolve and reuse those electronic components.  

With technology advancing rapidly, electronic devices often become obsolete much faster than their structural components, such as plastics, which can last for thousands of years. To address this issue, Franziska’s PAPE includes a “designed end-of-life system” that takes obsolescence into account and ensures a sustainable, reliable approach that aligns with technological advancements. 

Image courtesy of Franziska Kerber and The James Dyson Award 2024.

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